‘Bloody furious’: Lockdown anger as economy takes $700m hit

Queensland’s eight-day Covid-19 lockdown will wipe $700m from the state’s economy experts have predicted, as angry business owners lash out at the government.

Queensland’s eight-day Covid-19 lockdown will wipe $700m from the state’s economy experts have predicted, as business peak bodies warn the shutdown could have a catastrophic impact.

Small and medium businesses in the state, along with large tourism and hospitality operators within the lockdown zone, will have access to financial help under the state government’s first support package of the year.

But businesses will have to wait two weeks before they can even apply for the $5000 sum, a delay the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ) said just isn’t good enough.

The payment, worth $5000 each, will be available for small and medium businesses with a turnover of $75,000 or more a year as long as their annual payroll is less than $10m.

For large tourism and hospitality businesses to be eligible, they must make more than $10m a year and have experienced a 30 per cent reduction in turnover.

Treasurer Cameron Dick confirmed the payment, to be administered by QRIDA, won’t be open for applications until “mid-August”.

The extension of the lockdown until Sunday has dealt a devastating blow to businesses, with AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver predicting it will cost $700m in lost economic activity for the full eight days.

The biggest sectors impacted will be retail and hospitality, with Australian Retailers Association boss Paul Zahra warning $500m was at risk for his sector.

“Even with the existing state and federal support schemes that are available, we have grave concerns for the survival of many small businesses in the face of Delta’s current impacts,” he said.

Restaurant and Catering Industry Association chief executive Wes Lambert said the sector’s loss from cancelled bookings and events will be about $130m.

Dr Oliver and economist Saul Eslake said fortunately “pent up demand” caused by the lockdown will likely lead to a rapid bounce back for the state, as has been seen in other parts of the country.

“Obviously the coffees and the chardonnays and the gym sessions that people don’t have can’t be made up,” Mr Eslake said.

“But the stuff that people don’t buy and the other experiences that they don’t have (in lockdown), like dining out or playing tennis, can be made up afterwards.”

CCIQ policy and advocacy general manager Amanda Rohan warned the state government’s business package left sole traders and smaller operators “who work just as hard to secure their livelihood” in the lurch.

Mr Dick said further help for businesses, as agreed by national cabinet, would kick in if the lockdown goes for longer than 14 days.

Meanwhile, individuals in the lockdown area who have lost work hours will be able to apply for the federal government’s disaster payments from Sunday.

NightQuarter owners Ian Van der Woude and Michelle Christoe who are furious about the state governments double standards regarding sporting and entertainment venues. Picture Lachie Millard

VENUE OWNER FURIOUS ABOUT LOCKDOWN

A prominent Sunshine Coast businessman is ‘bloody furious’ about the South East Queensland lockdown, saying the Palaszczuk Government has ‘failed miserably’ to manage the pandemic.

Ian Van der Woude, operator of award-winning live music and markets venue The Night Quarter, said his business was ‘seriously looking at the edge of the cliff’ after the three-day lockdown was extended another five days until Sunday, with no guarantee it will end.

Mr Van der Woude said business was being smashed at the same time as the ‘tone deaf’ government gave ‘favourable treatment’ to the NRL and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on fireworks to celebrate Queensland’s ‘one-horse race’ 2032 Olympics win.

“I’m bloody furious,” he said.

“What really makes me mad is that Queensland Labor fails to take any responsibility for their mismanagement.

“Let’s face it, all of the Covid cases in Queensland have ultimately come in from overseas and therefore the state-run quarantine failures have let us down.

“And then we have seen repeated failures in the management of Covid wards in hospitals that have also led to breakouts in the community.

“Labor has not ‘kept us safe’. Yes, they have tried, and have done some good things; but they have also failed miserably on getting some fundamentals right.”

Mr Van der Woude said quarantine ‘failures’ and a slow vaccination rollout were to blame.

“We won’t get paid this week and we also have staff on tenterhooks anxiously waiting to see if they have a job to come back to.

“The latest $5000 support package doesn’t go far when you have 75 staff, yet the public servants and the pollies can enjoy job security and a guaranteed salary banked into their accounts.

“We’re fatigued and we’ve exhausted all of our personal resources just to keep the doors open, and are now seriously looking at the edge of the cliff.”

Mr Van der Woude has had a running battle with the State Government over Covid-19 protocols at the Night Quarter.

Health officials raided the venue in June and ordered it closed down over alleged ‘repeated breaches’ of Covid-19 rules, including allowing patrons to dance at a Spacey Jane concert.

The closure came on the same weekend Aussie rock legend Daryl Braithwaite and band San Cisco were due to play the venue.