TTF CEO Margy Osmond said the industry had long been pushing for further support to replace JobKeeper due to the ongoing economic uncertainty created by a delayed vaccine rollout resulting in ongoing lockdowns, domestic border closures and next to no international travel.

“The ultimate goal of support payments should be to make sure that our tourism workers can remain connected to their businesses through lockdowns and then the critical post lockdown recovery period,” Margy Osmond said.

“Until it ended prematurely, JobKeeper did this very effectively, which is why that simple and effective support model should ideally be reinstated while lockdowns remain and while the subsequent recovery period remains highly fragile.

“However, thanks to consistent advocacy from the NSW Government, new wider payroll parameters and increased payment amounts via a joint Commonwealth-NSW program, together with increased Commonwealth-only COVID-19 Disaster Support Payments, will go some way towards replicating the previous JobKeeper support model.”

The new package extends the existing joint ‘JobSaver’ program to now make it available to businesses with a turnover of $75,000 to $250 million, up from the existing cap of $50 million, who have suffered a revenue decline of 30 per cent or more as a result of the lockdown.

The maximum weekly payment has also been substantially increased, with employing businesses that maintain their employee headcount now able to receive between $1,500 and $100,000 per week, up from the previous maximum payment of $10,000, with payments based on 40 per cent of their weekly payroll.

Further, the separate Disaster Support Payments for individuals will now be increased to $1500 a fortnight for those who have lost 20 hours or more work a week, the same payment rate as the initial JobKeeper subsidy, and will be available from week one rather than week four of the lockdown.

“These changes are very welcome and reflect sustained TTF advocacy, however we will continue to push for this support to continue for the critical six-month recovery period immediately beyond lockdowns,” Margy Osmond continued.

“This is particularly important for the international visitor exposed parts of our industry who have effectively been in lockdown for sixteen months with no end yet in sight and for a domestic market which continues to be decimated by extended lockdowns and border restrictions.

“It is the long-term, sustainable industries of tourism, transport and aviation, that if supported not just during lockdowns but during the critical recovery period following them, that will pay dividends to state economies and the national economy over many decades to come.”

Contact: TTF Manager Policy, Media & Government Relations Lindsay Hermes lhermes@ttf.org.au 0418 948 447