Business Support Grant Program

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:07): My question is to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer update the house on the level of support provided by taxpayers to businesses in South Australia to assist in the recovery of COVID-19?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:07): I am pleased to be able to report to the house that in total approximately almost $73 million of taxpayers' money has now been distributed to businesses that were deemed to be eligible for the various Business Support Grant schemes which have been announced since the lockdown a couple of months ago and then the two weeks of extended restrictions, which occurred soon after the seven-day lockdown period.

The initial Business Support Grant has provided a total of approximately $65 million in support grants to primarily small businesses, employing small businesses, but also a new category, which was commenced in the second grant round, I think it was, last year to non-employing businesses—sole traders and the like. As a result of that, a significant increase in the number of eligible businesses have been able to find taxpayer support from the two most recent grant rounds.

As I said, there was almost $65 million in the first Business Support Grant, and then the additional support grant, which was a more targeted level of follow-on assistance, has provided further support of almost $8 million for the total of $73 million. Treasury have advised me that, I think, approximately 28,000 businesses, both employing and non-employing businesses, have made applications.

I am pleased to be able to report also that as of this morning, 7 September, the earliest unassessed application was a mere seven days ago, which was 30 August. In essence, all the applications that have been received prior to 30 August have been assessed. There are a small number that have had to be queried in terms of whether or not they are eligible, and a small number where further information is being sought to ensure the bona fides of the particular business, that the ABN is a valid ABN and that it is a valid operating business, and those small number of applications are still to be assessed.

The overwhelming number of applications have now been processed, and cash grants in particular flowed through to those many thousands of small and medium-sized businesses in South Australia to help them cope with the implications or ramifications of COVID-19.