Businesses need a re-start date

Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto has called for the State Government to allow businesses in virus-free regional areas to re-open.

BUSINESSES in areas free of COVID-19 need to start being progressively re-opened as a matter of urgency, says Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto.

Mr Dametto called on the State Labor Government to put a management plan in place so businesses can start firing again.

“Small businesses in regional Queensland are on their knees. They are unjustly having to suffer despite many of these areas having no active cases of COVID-19,” Mr Dametto said.

“The government’s one-size-fits-all shutdown is killing our small towns. That’s why we need a staggered re-opening process that goes by region, shire or electorates free of the virus instead of this business-destroying blanket approach.

“Queensland is too big for one set of rules.”

Mr Dametto said a staggered approach to reopening businesses would allow regional Queensland to rebuild while the south-east dealt with the remaining cases of the virus.

“It may be difficult for this Brisbane-based government to accept and then manage but there’s no need to leave our region’s business owners haemorrhaging cash while the south east corner catches up,” he said.

“We need to strike the balance between reducing the community spread of the virus and allowing businesses to rebound before it’s too late.

“The 50km limit for recreational travel is also hurting regional businesses, where you have small population centres and long travel distances. The government needs to review this and expand the travel distance limit for businesses in this situation.”

Mr Dametto said he would be writing to the Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urging her to allow the re-opening of businesses in virus-free areas.

“We can’t just flick a magic switch and expect everything to go back to normal but our businesses deserve certainty and a plan so our beauty salons and gyms can reopen, our cafes can start seating customers again, our accommodation places can host visitors and our publicans can welcome patrons back into their pubs and clubs,” he said.

“Let’s not leave them in the lurch.”