CCIWA CEO

Chris Rodwell

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA (CCIWA) welcomes the State Government’s commitment to provide financial assistance to businesses impacted by current restrictions.

This is a critical earnings season for businesses in sectors like events, tourism, hospitality and local bricks-and-mortar retail. The events sector in particular had been looking forward to the New Year period as an opportunity to make up significant lost revenues over the past two years. Examples of businesses in this sector include lighting, security, catering, staging and waste companies, as well as electrical and marketing services. The vast majority of these businesses are small and family-run. If these businesses fall into administration, a family would risk losing their home.

CCIWA calls on the State Government to ensure that all impacted businesses are included in the scheme, and that they receive a fair amount of compensation. In the compensation for the June lockdown, some businesses linked to the events sector did not qualify.

CCIWA acknowledges the important decisions the State Government has made to give relief to WA businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic, including payroll tax and license fee waivers, and the progressive step-up in the quantum of lockdown support grants over the course of 2021. Ensuring that the compensation for restrictions is fair – and includes all affected businesses – would be consistent with the constructive approach the Government has taken to mitigating the impact on WA businesses.

The current impacts on businesses place even greater importance on the State Government’s Reconnect WA initiative. This initiative is crucial for the WA businesses that are still recovering from pandemic restrictions, and CCIWA looks forward to working with the State Government to ensure it is a success.