What’s the plan for business: Fourth South East Queensland lockdown due to end but regional businesses are still desperate for certainty

Thousands of businesses across the south east are today preparing to return to trade with the lockdown due to ease, but they’re still desperate for essential certainty as to what the plan for business is as regional Queensland feels the impact.  

Businesses are telling the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ) extended cut to trading capacity without certainty surrounding lockdown and restriction decision making could spell the end for their business.  

While the lockdown in 11 local government areas will lift today, some restrictions will remain in place, including density limits in businesses while Cairns and Yarrabah areas will go into lockdown for three days.  

CCIQ Policy and Advocacy General Manager Amanda Rohan said lockdowns meant businesses had to either close or adapt, but businesses and consumer confidence also took a significant hit.  

“Some Queensland businesses have been in lockdown for a total of 18 days over four lockdowns this year,” Ms Rohan said.  

“For businesses outside the lockdown areas, associated impacts to supply chains, staffing, logistics and tourism as well as businesses and consumer confidence mean they’re not spared the cost – they’re not in lockdown but they are locked out.  

“We’ve been calling on the State Government since March to provide businesses with the essential certainty they need to be able to prepare to not only survive the impacts of lockdowns and the associated immediate cost to their business, but have the resources to make decisions now about how they can best plan for long-term business recovery.  

“We need to know what the plan for business is, what will it take for businesses to be guaranteed there will not be future lockdowns, how they will be supported both in the immediate and long-term and what they can be doing now to ensure their business can both re-open after this lockdown and remain viable in the future.  

“Businesses owners have run out of emotional and financial capacity to endure further lockdowns. Close to half of businesses we surveyed in the June quarter Pulse Survey say they have been forced to contribute personal funds, on average more than $110,000, to keep their business afloat – they reached their limit a long time ago.”  

Ms Rohan said while the $5,000 payments made available to impacted businesses provided some relief, there was still work to do to ensure those most heavily affected were able to re-open after a lockdown and restore businesses and consumer confidence.  

“Businesses are telling us $5,000 which they can apply for in mid-August is too little too late. They’re losing up to $65,000 for every three days their business is in lockdown and a $5,000 payment in a few weeks’ time does little to help them pay ongoing bills and overheads, maintain their commitment to staff who rely on them for an income and plan their long-term COVID recovery,” Ms Rohan said. 

“We also heard today the government was considering support for businesses but we need to know details about what that means for businesses. 

“We’ve been calling for a COVID-19 Hotspot Recovery Package since March to provide impacted businesses with payments up to $25,000 to help them meet their basic immediate obligations and plan their journey out of lockdown.  

“Without a commitment to support and without the much-needed certainty about what will happen if there is another lockdown, the real risk is many businesses will not see the other side of this lockdown. 

“CCIQ has been working with the government to reconsider broader support for businesses including permit and fee waivers, payroll tax relief and disaster payments. We know these things worked well in the first lockdown last year.  

“These measurers need to be back on the table to ensure the most impacted businesses are given efficient and effective support where and when they need it most.” 

Brisbane business owner Maria Anderson has been committed to creating a sustainable business model for Sustainable Marketing Services for the past 13 years.   

“In this lockdown we’re floating our business by contributing our own funds. We are below break even and I can’t fall any lower than I am.  It’s absolutely destroying businesses,” Ms Anderson said.   

“Many professional services have suffered losses of up to 50% since the beginning of COVID and each lockdown keeps dragging that out further, it impacts confidence and we will continue to suffer losses for six months after a lockdown.” 

Ms Anderson said with every lockdown, businesses and consumers lost confidence and it put pressure on her ability to cover overheads including staff wages.   

“It makes it very difficult for these business to meet their superannuation and tax obligations and keep their staff but businesses are trying to do the right thing,” she said.  

“Businesses need to be provided with more financial support so they can pay mortgages and meet their basic obligations, we’re not talking about frivolous things.     

“We don’t often ask for much, we try to be self sufficient but these lockdowns are beyond our control now.   

“COVID uncertainty has dragged on too long and businesses are up against the wall.”  

CCIQ media contact  

Emma Clarke  

Media and Communications Advisor  

[email protected] | 0403 944 902