09 Aug 2021

Further financial support for SA businesses & postponed or cancelled events

Industry Update
Industry Update

A new jointly-funded package from the Commonwealth and South Australian Governments will give local small and medium businesses impacted by COVID restrictions (such as density limits) further financial support.

Announced today by the Premier Steven Marshall, the new $40 million South Australian COVID-19 Additional Business Support Grant will support an estimated 19,000 local businesses in eligible industries – including tourism, hospitality and performing art venues, artists and performers.

The new package includes:

  • $3,000 cash grants for employing businesses and $1,000 for non-employing businesses (e.g. sole traders) in eligible industry sectors that have experienced a decline in turnover of 30 per cent or more over a two-week period as a result of the COVID-19 trading restrictions introduced from 28 July, 2021
  • An additional CBD grant of $1,000 will be available for eligible businesses (employing and non-employing) with a commercial premise in the Adelaide CBD (postcode 5000), in recognition of the increased impact on city businesses as a result of people working from home.

In addition, a new Major Events Support Grant of up to $25,000 for eligible events that were either cancelled, or suffered a significant financial loss, as a result of having to be cancelled or postponed due to SA’s COVID-19 lockdown in July or further restrictions to 4 August, will be funded by the South Australian Government.

In more welcome news today, Virgin Australia has announced a new direct Adelaide-Launceston route, and the resumption of its Adelaide-Darwin services. Both will begin in the first week of September with fares starting from $59 on Adelaide-Launceston, and the Darwin-Adelaide sale fares starting at $119 one-way.

It is great that we can see more travel opportunities created while border restrictions remain in place for Queensland, Victoria, WA and NSW – and a boost for our state's tourism and hospitality businesses.

Read on for details.

Rodney Harrex
Chief Executive

 

COVID-19 Additional Business Support Grant

To be eligible for the grant, businesses must meet the following criteria, as at the start of the restriction period of 12:01am Wednesday 28 July 2021:

  • Be located within South Australia.
  • Have a valid and active ABN and be registered for the GST.
  • Have an Australia-wide payroll of less than $10 million in the 2019-20 financial year.
  • Operate in an eligible industry sector identified in the list of eligible ANZSIC classes
  • Must have experienced at least a 30 per cent reduction in turnover due to the restricted trading conditions over the two weeks from 28 July 2021 (the commencement date of the trading restriction) to 10 August 2021 compared to average fortnightly turnover in the June quarter 2021 (prior to restrictions).

Applications for the COVID-19 Additional Business Support Grant are expected to be open on 13 August 2021 and will close at 11:59pm on 17 October 2021.

For further information and to apply, see treasury.sa.gov.au.

 

Major Events Support Grant

To be eligible for the grant, a business must:

  • Have a valid and active ABN and be registered for the GST.
  • Have an Australia-wide payroll of less than $10 million in the 2019-20 financial year.
  • Employ people in South Australia.
  • Be the organiser/operator of an event that:
    • commenced on or prior to 20 July 2021, and was required to be cancelled/ postponed as a result of State‑wide lockdown and further restrictions; or
    • was scheduled to be held over period of State-wide lockdown or restrictions commencing 20 July 2021 up to 10 August 2021 and has been cancelled/postponed as a result of the restrictions.
  • The event was a one-off event with an approved COVID Management Plan or COVID Safe Plan catering for an event of over 1,000 combined capacity in one or across multiple locations.
  • Entities with an on-going COVID-19 Management/Safe Plan for regularly scheduled events are not eligible.
  • Have incurred a non-recoverable financial loss as a result of the cancellation or postponement of the event.

Applications for the Major Events Grant will open soon, and will remain open until 11:59pm, 17 October 2021.

For further information and to apply, see treasury.sa.gov.au.

See the full Industry Update – 9 August 2021 here.