‘It’s like a kick in the guts’: Business unable to open until essential worker allowed into state

A Hobart business remains closed in wait for an essential worker to fix critical equipment, however their applications to bring the specialist engineer into the state have been rejected three times.

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A HOBART business owner has expressed her frustrations at being unable to get a legitimate essential worker into the state after a tourism executive was granted an exemption to attend a hotel opening.

White Rabbit Tattoo Removal owner Jorja Threlfall said her equipment broke down on July 17, just one month after she was able to reopen her doors following the state’s COVID lockdown.

Without functioning equipment she has been left unable to work and getting it fixed has near impossible.

Jorja Threlfall, owner of White Rabbit Laser Tattoo Removals, has been trying since mid-July to get a specialist worker into Tasmania from Sydney to fix her equipment and they've had three applications rejected so far. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

“We need a specialised engineer in to fix the equipment. There’s no one in Tasmania with the skills to do it,” she said.

Ms Threlfall tried to organise for a specialist engineer from Sydney to fly down, but despite him fitting the essential worker criteria his application was knocked back three times.

“No one can tell us why we’re being rejected,” she said.

Ms Threlfall said she was angry and upset after finding out a tourism executive had been granted an exemption to attend the opening of the new Crowne Plaza Hotel.

“It’s like a kick to the gut,” she said.

Jorja Threlfall. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

“I don’t understand why my business is being pushed aside. Why do they get special consideration over us?”

She said she was lucky enough to have Jobkeeper at the moment, however with rent, overheads, and a mortgage to pay, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could last.

“It’s terrifying, especially just coming out of COVID” she said.

“It would help if someone could even just tell us why our application is being denied.”

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