CORONAVIRUS —
ECONOMIC RECOVERY PACKAGE
734. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Small
Business:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's $5.5 billion recovery plan that includes significant
support for those small businesses impacted by COVID-19.
Can the minister outline to the
house how this government's COVID-19 industry support fund will help Western
Australian travel agents deal with the economic impacts of the pandemic; and,
can the minister advise the house how this dedicated support program for travel
agents compares with other jurisdictions?
Mr P.
PAPALIA replied:
I thank the member for her question
and for her advocacy on behalf of all travel agents around the state,
particularly Christine Ross-Davies in her
own electorate. At the outset, I just have to reflect on the fact that Western Australia
is the best place in the nation, if not the world, to have a small business
right now. We have an open economy. There is opportunity for small business
right across the state. The challenges we have heard—which is a terrible
problem, but not a bad problem to have—is the demand for workers in
many different sectors; not just agriculture and horticulture, but also
hospitality, accommodation and other service-related industries right across
the state, because demand is so high, unlike everywhere else. Western Australia
leads the nation with regard to its recovery. However, there are some sectors—some
pockets—that are doing it tough. Travel agents are clearly one of those.
They were severely impacted by the federal government's closure of the
international borders. The moment the federal government closed the
international borders, travel agents in Western Australia lost 90 per cent of
their revenue stream, because 90 per cent of the revenue generated by travel
agents prior to COVID was generated by Western Australians leaving the state
and travelling overseas. That is no longer available, thanks to the federal
government's decision to close the borders.
We responded immediately with
measures, particularly for travel agents in bricks-and-mortar outlets, to
assist them with their commercial tenancies, amongst many other small business
responses that were provided to travel agents and everyone else in the state,
but we advocated and have been advocating with the federal government for a targeted
response to travel agents and the particular circumstances they confront. Ever
since Christine and Jo Francis came to see me and the member for Bicton we
ultimately took it to the Premier, and we have also been advocating for them at
the federal level—with no success to date, sadly. However, I can report
that an element of the COVID industry support fund that we have created as part
of our recovery package—the $5.5 billion McGowan government recovery plan—was launched on 18
September, when we created a dedicated travel agent fund. That fund
consists of a $3 million support package for which eligible home-based travel
agents and shopfront bricks-and-mortar outlets can apply. Home-based travel
agents can access up to $5 000 individually, while those operating shopfronts
can receive a minimum of $10 000, and it may be more, subject to how many apply
and how many are eligible. We do not really have much visibility of the exact
numbers that we are talking about. That work is being done by the Small
Business Development Corporation right now. Small businesses are able to access
information about the fund via the corporation's website,
www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au.
What I can say is that with our
dedicated support fund and solid response to our travel agents in Western Australia,
with reference to the rest of the nation, we are the only state or jurisdiction
in the nation with a dedicated fund for travel
agents. I would again call on the federal government to step up into the space.
A long-term solution needs to be provided. We as a state are doing what we can,
but this is a federal government matter. This is a national issue, it is an
ongoing issue, and the federal government needs to step into the space and take
responsibility for helping these people in the longer term.