Far North Businesses Struggling Amid COVID Restrictions And Lockdowns

The Far North Queensland business community welcome back eased restrictions state-wide, but admits the economic recovery is far from picture perfect. 

With economic uncertainty across the country and two states in lockdown, wage subsidies are essential according to Cairns Chamber of Commerce CEO Patricia O'Neill.

'We have got some retailers up here whose cash registers are turning over $30, or $40 in a day. How on earth are they expected to retain staff wages when the income is not there, but the expenditure remains"

- CEO Patricia O'Neill

The FNQ Briefing

A group of Far North Queensland workers plan to rally outside Warren Entsch's office in a bid to push local council to call upon the Federal government to turn the jobkeeper tap back on.

Meantime, the Queensland Council of Unions warns more than three-thousand far northerners will be in the unemployment queue by Christmas.

Cairns Branch President Trish Berrill said local businesses can't survive while international travel is off the cards, and DELTA runs riot.

"We know that our streets are empty in town. We know that we've got no tourists coming in. You know, Mr Entsch should be out there meeting with businesses, speaking with the public to let us know that this is what I'm doing and contacting Mr Morrison per say. We've got huge problems here in Cairns"

- Trish Berrill

Ms Berrill said the Federal government needs to step in now to ensure the tourism sector can comeback.

“It took some convincing from unions for the Morrison Government to initially introduce JobKeeper in 2020 but it successfully helped communities to resist the first waves of Covid and maintain the link between workers and employers,”

- Trish Berrill

For Australians looking for intelligent and unbiased news coverage, join renowned journalist Natarsha Belling on Your Morning Agenda for breaking national and international stories as well as the top business and finance stories - every weekday from 6:30am on Listnr