small business – the state government’s COVID-19 small business support scheme is falling short according to Shadow Minister for Small Business Anita Dow. “Thousands of small businesses have been forced to close or seen significant downturn as a result of COVID-19,” she said. “We applaud the Tasmanian government for putting in place emergency relief measures. But all applicants should have a level playing field. Small business owners are being told the scheme is oversubscribed, and that not all applicants can be supported.”
She said the solution is not to make businesses compete against each other for funding, but to increase the level of funding so that all businesses in need can equitably access support. Timeliness is also an issue, she claims. “We are hearing from small business owners who are being told it will take more than a month to assess their application. These businesses are having to make decisions right now about their future, based on the information they have in front of them today. We call on the government to guarantee support to all eligible businesses and increase resources so that applications can be processed faster.”
TasWater dividends – the Small Business Council called on TasWater to open their books in order to prove the claim that their revenue has taken a hit as result of the COVID-19 crisis. CEO Robert Mallett pointed out that it was hard to believe TasWater could be facing a cashflow crisis when the water and sewerage system was still being used. “Have people stopped going to the toilet and drinking water,” he Mallett asked rhetorically. “As it stands, water and sewerage charges are set to grow by 3.5 per cent…then there is a 10 year capital works plan, to play catch-up for the years of neglect of the water and sewerage system by local government.”
Responding to a Tasmanian Times enquiry, a spokesperson said that TasWater’s decision to not pay second half dividends is “solely the result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the support we are providing to the community through a rebate of the quarter four bill of eligible small businesses, and the 12 month freeze on price increases.” TasWater said they will need to increase their borrowings in response to these extra concessions. “We will continue to provide support to households and businesses in Tasmania that are doing it tough as a result of COVID-19. We are also working hard to ensure our ten year $1.8 billion program of capital works goes ahead which will see us play a role in the economic recovery of Tasmania through the economic boost these projects will have across the state.” The new conditions are expected to see a one-off hit to the bottom line of around $25M this financial year with a further reduction in earnings expected next financial year.
changing of the guard – Launceston Chamber of Commerce Executive Officer Neil Grose announced that he would step down from the role in mid-June. “This has, without doubt, been the most challenging yet rewarding and fun role I’ve ever had, and I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity the Chamber and the broader business community have given me,” he said. “There have been many highlights such as the Business Excellence Awards and other events, however it is the day to day interaction with business-people seeking to do their best for themselves and city which has been the most satisfying. Launceston is very fortunate to have some of the best business brains in the country who combine the entrepreneurial spirit with a desire to see this city be one of the great regional cities of the world and I look forward to continuing this productive relationship in my new role.”
Meanwhile Adrienne Picone will take on the role of TasCOSS CEO following the departure of Kym Goodes in February. She will start work with TasCOSS on 17 June. “Adrienne has extensive experience at CEO-level and a long-standing career in the community services industry having served as the CEO of Volunteering Australia for the past three years,” said Board President of TasCOSS Alex McKenzie. “No stranger to our island home, prior to that Adrienne was a strong voice for Tasmanians and the state’s community service industry as CEO of Volunteering Tasmania.” McKenzie said that the appointment came at a crucial time as TasCOSS works to ensure Tasmanians and community service organisations get the help and support they need during the COVID-19 crisis. “I am delighted to be returning home and joining the TasCOSS team,” said Picon. “The role of the community services industry and the focus on leaving no one behind has never been more important than right now. We will continue to work towards improved social and economic outcomes for all in our state as the COVID-19 response moves into recovery.”
NW restrictions lifted – the Premier announced that the special restrictions on the North West to deal with the outbreak will be lifted from midnight this Sunday 3 May. “It’s important to note, these changes will bring the North West in line with the rest of Tasmanian restrictions, which means restrictions on personal movement and the operation of certain businesses will still apply,” said Peter Gutwein. “North West Coast residents, in line with all Tasmanians, will still be required to stay home unless you absolutely need to go out, and people should continue to limit their movement out of the region. A full list of statewide restrictions on public gatherings and business can be found at: www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au. However, retail businesses that were required to close when the additional North West restrictions came into force three weeks ago, but were previously operating under the previous statewide restrictions will now be allowed to reopen.”
The Greens said the decision to ease restrictions will be welcome news for residents in the region, but the community must be given further information to reassure them about this decision. “We understand all decisions relating to management of the COVID-19 outbreak have been undertaken on the basis of the advice of Public Health, and that winding back the stricter restrictions has not been done lightly,” said Greens Health Spokesperson Rosalie Woodruff. “The North West community, however, would undoubtedly feel more confident if a further explanation was provided about how the outbreak is now classified as ‘under control’ while cases are still being reported. Until the Director of Public Health declares the COVID-19 outbreak to be resolved in the North West, it would be prudent for the whole of the NWRH to be considered a COVID-19 hot facility. The developing cluster in Smithton and this morning’s confirmation of a new coronavirus case at the Mersey Hospital are reminders we must remain extremely vigilant in our efforts to combat this virus.”
Shadow Minister for Workplace Relations Michelle O’Byrne said the government must ensure there are enough WorkSafe Tasmania staff available to assist with reopening business that have been closed under the special conditions. “The Premier has talked about COVID-ready plans for small business when statewide restrictions are eased, but the affected businesses in the North West are coming out of more stringent restrictions and they also need to be COVID-ready,” she said. “It is the government’s obligation to ensure all necessary resources are available to enable a smooth transition and give owners, staff and customers all the support they need to resume services in the North West community. These business owners, their employees and families deserve our thanks for the sacrifices they have made to protect the health and wellbeing of our communities. They should receive all the help they need now to get back on their feet.”
van Diemen – no, not him, her. Dr Louise van Diemen, Victoria’s Deputy Chief Health Officer, generated a little heat on her Twitter comment to the effect that Cook was comparable to COVID-19. Well. Speaking on radio on Friday morning, the prime minister said Dr van Diemen should ‘stick to her day job’. “I found these comments very disappointing,” said Scott Morrison. However Victorian Premier Dan Andrews said Dr van Diemen was doing an ‘amazing job’ and his attention was firmly elsewhere. “There was a tweet posted on a day off and if that’s the biggest issue of this global pandemic, well I don’t agree with that,” he said. Tasmanian Senator Eric Abetz said that, “the Deputy Chief Health Officer might do well to learn from the relevant experts in the field like Professor Geoffrey Blainey AC before she foolishly wallows into disciplines of which she clearly has no understanding.”
Crikey columnist Guy Rundle labelled the attack on Dr van Diemen “a new low in destructive character assassination, driven by bitterness at their (right wing commentariat) own irrelevance.” Just-Equal spokesperson, Brian Greig, said the attack on Dr van Diemen exposed the ‘double standard’ of those who supported Israel Folau last year when he tweeted that LGBTIQ people are bound for Hell. “While the Prime Minister is keen to pass his Religious Freedom Bill to protect what people of faith say, there is no comparable legislation to protect freedom of speech more broadly. The attacks on Dr van Diemen show the government, and conservatives generally, are far more interested in protecting and defending religious speech than secular speech, and in giving special rights to people of faith.”
orange-bellied parrot – Tasmania’s Orange-bellied parrot captive breeding program has recorded a successful 2019-20 breeding season, both in the wild and at the captive facility at Five Mile Beach, said Environment Minister Roger Jaensch. Twenty-three birds survived their migration to and from the mainland, returning to their only wild breeding site at Melaleuca in the state’s southwest in time for the breeding season. These were supplemented with the release of a further 34 adult birds at Melaleuca. Twenty nests were recorded at Melaleuca over the breeding season, with 37 fledglings produced from a mix of wild-born and captive-bred parents. Forty-nine captive-bred juveniles, from DPIPWE and national recovery team partners Moonlit Sanctuary and Healesville Sanctuary, were successfully released at Melaleuca in February and March 2020 to join the surviving adults and wild-born fledglings on their migration to the mainland at the end of the season.
“The breeding program plays a very important role in protecting and growing the population of this critically endangered species, and we are doing what we can to protect our threatened species and ensure their survival for the future,” Jaensch said. “The Tasmanian program works in collaboration with national Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Team partners to monitor the wild bird population, increase the captive population and manage habitat to help increase the wild population.” Planning for the 2020-21 breeding season has begun and the program hopes to see an increase in the number of birds returning to Tasmania this spring.
