22 Nov 2022

Financial assistance for Murray River regions

The State Government has today unveiled a $51.6 million initial financial assistance package for communities, households and businesses in the Murray River regions who will be affected by large-scale flooding.

Among a suite of measures, it includes:

  • Early Business Closure Grant – $10,000 for non-employing businesses and $20,000 for employing businesses forced to close or cease trading prior to the flood
  • $3 million for three rounds of time-limited $200 vouchers for accommodation/tourism experiences in river communities at a time to be determined by consultation with industry
  • $1.1 million for a “Book Them Out” style marketing campaign
  • A waiver of state government fees and charges for houseboat and tourism operators impacted by the floods.

For further details, please see the media release. For information about the grants and application process, businesses can register their details at business.sa.gov.au.

The South Australian Tourism Commission has been involved in discussions to help inform the response and recovery, working closely with our Regional Tourism Managers at Destination Riverland and the Murray River Lakes & Coorong Tourism Alliance.

We have also already commenced work on the development of creative messaging and tactical incentives that can be rolled out to support operators as soon as the time is right.

We know the Great State Vouchers and #BookThemOut campaign made a huge difference for industry when it was needed most, and we saw the incredible response from South Australians who rallied behind operators during these times.

It is important to reiterate that the current advice is that it is still safe to travel to the Murray River regions, and in fact, visitors are being encouraged to go and support local businesses.

While there is plenty to see and do across the regions along the Murray River, please be aware of the hazards, plan ahead and act responsibly. 

Consumers are encouraged to ring ahead to get the latest information from local visitor information centres or contact businesses they plan on visiting directly. For advice and information about the river flow, go to sa.gov.au.

Tomorrow, the SATC is jointly hosting an industry breakfast in Berri with the Tourism Industry Council of SA (TiCSA). Operators across the Riverland and Murray River Lakes & Coorong regions have been invited to attend this event – with updates to be provided by the Minister for Tourism, the Hon Zoe Bettison, and SATC.

Riverland and Murray River Lakes & Coorong operators who would like to attend this industry event, are encouraged to register now.

Stephanie Rozokos
Chief Executive