Mount Gambier Electorate

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (16:10): I rise to make a few comments about the COVID incident we had down in my electorate last week. It was quite an interesting time and I guess really strenuous and stressful for a number of businesses. When word broke that we had a positive case, it was the Monday of the long weekend, and it is fair to say that my phone did not stop ringing until late Monday night with businesses unclear as to what the impact was going to be for them.

I heard numerous personal stories about bookings that had been cancelled, empty dining rooms and the tremendous emotional and financial impact that COVID was having on the owners and, importantly, their staff. Many owners felt very responsible for their staff's wages and not being able to provide the hours or the shifts, but the full knowledge that bills still continued to come in certainly put added pressure on many of the businesses I talked to.

I spent most of Tuesday walking the streets of Mount Gambier, particularly the main street, and it is fair to say that on Tuesday it was like a ghost town. Most of the hotels that I went into had nobody or one or two people in there, and retail shops were telling me that they were 70 to 80 per cent down on a regular Tuesday turnover.

Of course, added to that, was the fact that it was the last week of the South Australian school holidays and many people were holidaying and touring through Mount Gambier and were essentially advised to leave if they did not need to be in Mount Gambier and, if they had planned to be in Mount Gambier that week, not to go. Of course, that had flow-on ramifications for our businesses but, pleasingly, the state government has stepped up to the mark with a regional COVID support grant for the Lower South-East.

My office has spent most of this week communicating with our business owners, highlighting to them that there are grants available: $3,000 for eligible employing businesses and $1,000 for non-employing businesses. To be eligible for the business at the start of the restriction period, Monday 4 October, they must have a valid and active ABN and be carrying on the operation of a business, be registered for GST, be operating a business in an eligible list of postcodes—that is, the Mount Gambier, District Council of Grant and Wattle Range councils—have a total Australian group payroll of less than $10 million, not be engaged in illegal activities, have received a grant under the COVID-19 Tourism and Hospitality Support Grant, or be a business that has experienced at least 30 per cent reduction in turnover due to the restricted trading conditions over the week from 4 October to 10 October.

With that, I commend the state government for providing assistance in looking after the business community, but I would like them to go one step further. The impact was felt disproportionately by our accommodation sector, so I am calling on the state government to initiate a Great State Limestone Coast Voucher just for the Lower Limestone Coast in those three LGA areas.

This would be very similar to what has been proposed across the state: vouchers of $100 to be used for accommodation or tourism experiences in those three LGA areas. This would attract people back to the accommodation sector, which was the hardest hit, and also promote Mount Gambier, the District Council of Grant and the Wattle Range Council as great places to visit, great places to bring the family and spend some time. In comparison to many other schemes around the place, like Fear of Missing Out Fridays, this voucher scheme would be greatly appreciated in promoting our region.