Night Quarter operator slams State Government over Covid-19 lockdown

The owner of a prominent Sunshine Coast hospitality venue shut down over alleged Covid-19 breaches earlier this year has slammed the state government over the latest Covid lockdown, saying it had ‘failed miserably’ in handling the pandemic.

A prominent Sunshine Coast businessman is “bloody furious” about the southeast 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.

Night Quarter music venue owners Michelle Christoe and Ian Van der Woude. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

“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 has had a running battle with the State Government over Covid-19 protocols at the Night Quarter.

The venue was raided and closed down by Health officials in June over alleged “repeated breaches” of Covid-19 rules, including allowing patrons to dance.

He said quarantine “failures” and a slow vaccination rollout were to blame for the current state of affairs.

“To prioritise vaccination of pollies over some other vulnerable members of the community is just nuts and demonstrates how arrogant they have become,” he said.

“For example, my dad has cancer and some other health issues requiring daily in-home nurse visits. But the lady who looks after him and visits quite a few vulnerable people each day still hasn’t had her vaccination.

“Meanwhile my business, which relies heavily on live music events, continues to suffer as we watch in dismay sporting events and the NRL that receives favourable treatment at every turn.

“And then we saw last week the massive spend on fireworks and celebrations to mark the winning of our ‘one horse race’ Olympic bid. This is a ‘tone deaf’ government.”

Mr Van der Woude said an “unelected” Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young was ”still making decisions without the usual checks and balances that should apply in a democratic government”.

“Where is the oversight from our elected representatives to crippling decisions that impact our community and our economy?” he said.

“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.”

Originally published as Night Quarter operator slams State Government over Covid-19 lockdown