New support for tourism and hospitality

Tourism and hospitality operators will get more financial help from the State Government, while small to medium businesses and not-for-profit organisations will receive rebates to help with COVID-19 exposure-related cleaning under new support packages announced today.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the $47.5 million COVID-19 Tourism and Hospitality Lockdown Support Package will help businesses impacted by lockdowns in Queensland and other states, while Treasurer Cameron Dick says the $20 million Queensland COVID-19 Cleaning Rebate will provide assistance for small and medium businesses and not-for-profit organisations affected by possible exposure to a COVID case.

Ms Palaszczuk says the additional business support is part of the state’s plan for economic recovery from the global pandemic and addresses the burden imposed by international and domestic border closures as well as sharp lockdowns to contain COVID.

“From the south-east last week to the Far North right now, Queenslanders experiencing lockdowns are doing an incredible job to keep us all safe,” Ms Palaszczuk says.

“We’ve been working closely with all industries throughout the pandemic and we’re now providing additional assistance for eligible businesses on top of the $5000 COVID-19 Business Support Grants we’ve already announced.”

Treasurer and Minister for Investment Cameron Dick says the package is the result of consultation with businesses in both sectors.

“We’ve listened to what business has to say and we know the measures deliver immediate cash flow assistance,” Mr Dick says.

What’s on offer

He says the new $47.75 million tourism and hospitality support package delivers measures including:

• a six-month deferral of payroll tax payments for eligible tourism and hospitality businesses. This means payroll tax liabilities to be paid in August can be deferred for six months. Eligible business who have already made their payroll tax payments in August will be able to defer their next monthly payroll tax liability for six months;
• waiving, refunding or deferring a range of fees and charges for eligible tourism and hospitality businesses, including 12-month fee waivers for tourism businesses operating in a national park, conservation park, recreation area or state forest, including whale watching operations; and
• liquor licensing fee waivers and refunds.

“Given the impact of lockdowns on licensed venues, we will ease the burden by waiving or refunding liquor licensing fees for the 2021-22 financial for existing businesses, at a cost of up to $22 million,” Mr Dick says.

“In response to the lockdown in Cairns and Yarrabah in the Far North, we are also extending eligibility for the $5000 COVID-19 Business Support Grants to include large tourism and hospitality businesses outside south east Queensland.”

Clean-up help

Mr Dick says businesses and community organisations have helped keep the community safe by acting swiftly to undertake deep cleaning when a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 has been on their premises.

“The COVID-19 Cleaning Rebate will help cover these expenses by providing up to 80 percent of cleaning costs, capped at $10,000 per incident, where a business is a confirmed COVID-19 exposure site,” he says.

The Treasurer says the Tourism and Hospitality Sector COVID-19 Lockdown Support Package also includes:

• 12-month deferral of state lease fees for eligible tourism operators between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022
• 12-month fee waivers or refunds of inbound tour operator fees for fee renewals up to June 30, 2022
• a second round of the COVID-19 Marine Tourism Rebate for the 2021-22 financial year to offset berthing fees for marine tourism vessels at privately owned or privately operated marinas in eligible Local Government Areas.

For more about what’s available click here.

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