Exec bonuses, multimillion profit for Qld church after $74m JobKeeper payday

A Queensland church and its aged care organisation took in $74 million in taxpayer-funded JobKeeper payments during the pandemic – more than casino operator Star Entertainment.

A church and its aged care organisation reaped $74 million in taxpayer-funded JobKeeper payments – more than casino operator Star Entertainment – while paying executive bonuses and posting a multimillion-dollar profit during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Uniting Care Queensland accessed a whopping $74 million in JobKeeper in the 2019-20 financial year – putting it among the state’s largest beneficiaries of the Commonwealth wage program.

The health behemoth, which runs The Wesley and St Stephen’s hospitals, BlueCare and Lifeline brands, employs 16,601 people across the nation.

The $74 million in JobKeeper payments received were almost double the $43 million in sales made at Lifeline’s second-hand stores.

JobKeeper helped Uniting Care post a $29.6 million surplus last financial year, largely driven by $1.6 billion in contracts with customers.

The Albert Street Uniting Church in King George Square, Brisbane.

Despite the pandemic, Uniting Care’s executives also received $5.3 million in short-term employee benefits while Chairman Nigel Alexander collected $112,292 in board fees.

The $74 million JobKeeper windfall is among Queensland largest, and more than the Star Entertainment Group which accessed $64.8 million in JobKeeper in the 2019-20 financial year after closing its casinos and standing down 90 per cent of its 9000 employees.

Comparatively, theme park operator Village Roadshow took $42 million in JobKeeper payments after standing down 5000 workers.

Uniting Care Queensland is one of several state and national charities and organisations to access millions of dollars from the Commonwealth scheme, which was first paid in April 2020 to organisations which suffered a 15 per cent downturn as a result of Covid-19.

Brisbane’s Wesley Hospital is owned by the Uniting Church. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

Nationally, The Salvation Army also received $50 million in JobKeeper payments on the way to a $27.8 million operating surplus – however a lack of capital investment delivered an overall $26.4 million total loss.

According to its 2019-20 annual report the Salvos employed 31 chaplains and assisted more than 12,000 Australians affected by the deadly summer bushfires.

St Vincent De Paul Queensland received $4.6 million through the Commonwealth’s JobKeeper scheme, which the society qualified due to a “significant reduction in income” through the pandemic.

The society, including controlled entities Ozcare and Vinnies Housing, received JobKeeper posted a $16.6 million surplus in the 2019-20 financial year – $1 million lower than the previous year.

The Uniting Church-owned St Andrews Hospital in Brisbane. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

Society Treasurer Dan Carroll said the result was achieved “because the society worked differently, thought differently and made changes quickly”.

In the first weeks of the pandemic Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg revealed charities registered with the national regulator would be eligible for the Commonwealth’s $130 billion JobKeeper payment if they have suffered a 15 per cent decline in turnover.

Separately, Cancer Council Queensland recorded a $4.16 million in JobKeeper assistance as it posted a $4.15 million operating surplus. Diabetes Australia Queensland took home $864,000 and the RSPCA, which accessed JobKeeper, did not reveal the amount.