REPORT | August - September 2020
More industries to benefit from grant HE NSW Government has extended the deadline for applications to the $3,000 Small Business Recovery Grant and expanded the number of highly impacted industries able to apply. The deadline for grant applications has been extended to 31 August 2020 with 18 additional highly impacted industries soon able to apply for the $3,000 Small Business Recovery Grant. Minister for Finance and Small Business Damien Tudehope said the grants, funded from the $750M Small Business Support Fund, would help small businesses highly impacted by COVID-19. Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said more than 29,000 applications have already been received from small businesses and more than $71M has been paid out since the grants opened on 1 July 2020. “It’s important we continue to support the economic recovery and we
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know our support measures are playing a vital role in keeping people in jobs and businesses in business as we continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mr Perrottet said. “This grant follows the success of the Small Business Support Fund grant, which closed on 30 June 2020 with more than $500M paid to more than 50,000 businesses helping owners pay for unavoidable expenses.” Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the Small Business Recovery Grant is part of the NSW Government’s more than $15B COVID-19 stimulus support measures. “The Small Business Recovery Grant provides between $500 and $3,000 for expenses to get enterprises back to business, including for marketing and advertising expenses, fit-out changes and training staff on how to work safely
Good, but no room for complacency SW has reached a major milestone in the fight against COVID-19, with more than one million tests carried out in NSW since January. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the people of NSW should be proud of this achievement and thanked the community for doing their part to help keep NSW COVID-safe. “NSW has one of the highest COVID-19 testing rates in the world and reaching one million tests already is an incredible result,” Ms Berejiklian said. “I want to thank everyone in NSW who has come forward and been tested. This needs to continue – if you have the mildest of symptoms it is so important you come forward and get tested. “If you have already been tested and were negative but develop symptoms again, you need to come forward and get tested again.” Health Minister Brad Hazzard said high testing numbers is critical to finding
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new cases and controlling the spread of COVID-19. A total of 1,007,662 tests have been done since testing began, including 18,524 over the past 24 hours. “NSW Health Pathology have been the quiet achievers during the pandemic, working incredibly hard behind the scenes, doing almost 60 per cent of these tests, averaging 7,500 a day,” Mr Hazzard said. “They’ve also received around 290,000 registrations for their pioneering SMS Results Service that has halved the average waiting time for negative results.” Mr Hazzard warned that the virus is likely circulating among people in the community with mild symptoms and the risk of outbreaks and a resurgence of cases remains. “While this is a fantastic response from the community, we must keep up the fight against COVID-19 and not allow complacency to set in.”
under the current health conditions,” Mr Dominello said. The Small Business Recovery Grant can only be used for expenses from July 1 and where no other Government support is available. Small business owners can contact Service NSW for more information about eligibility on 13 77 88.
The 18 industries added to the highly impacted list: 1. Building and Other Industrial Cleaning Services 2. Creative Artists, Musicians, Writers and Performers 3. Employment Placement and Recruitment Services 4. Interurban and Rural Bus Transport 5. Labour Supply Services 6. Metal Coating and Finishing
7. Motion Picture and Video Production 8. Music and Other Sound Recording Activities 9. Optometry and Optical Dispensing 10. Other Allied Health Services 11. Other Goods and Equipment Rental and Hiring not elsewhere classified 12. Other Motor Vehicle and Transport Equipment Rental and Hiring 13. Other Social Assistance Services 14. Physiotherapy Services 15. Post-production Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Activities 16. Printing 17. Takeaway Food Services 18. Urban Bus Transport (Including Tramway).
Nominations open for COVID SAFE businesses OMINATIONS are now open for the 2020 SafeWork NSW Awards, acknowledging NSW businesses that demonstrate an outstanding approach to work health and safety. Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation, Kevin Anderson said this year’s awards will recognise businesses who’ve implemented innovative and effective measures to protect their employees throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. “Nominations are now open and, given this year’s unique circumstances, we will focus on businesses who have best responded to the significant challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic in the workplace,” Mr Anderson said. “It’s not been an easy year for our businesses, and this year’s awards are a great opportunity to say thank you to the employers who have gone above and beyond to adapt their working methods
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to make sure their workers are safe.” 2020 marks the 17th anniversary of the SafeWork NSW Awards, which will be broken down into three sub-categories: • Small business – non-government (two regional and two metropolitan). • Large business – non-government (two regional and two metropolitan) • Government. “Non-government businesses across NSW that are selected for recognition are eligible for a $3,000 safety rebate for their business.” Mr Anderson said. Nominations for the 2020 SafeWork Awards are open until August 9, with winners announced in October. To nominate, visit https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/advice-and-resources/campaigns/safework-awards
Help for hard-hit creative sector HE hard-hit creative sector will benefit as five new Business Connect advisors get to work, providing free-of-charge advice to small businesses affected by COVID-19. Minister for Finance and Small Business Damien Tudehope said the creative industries were some of the most impacted industries by COVID-19 and the new Business Connect advisors would be able to share their insights with small businesses. “In total, there are now 10 Business Connect advisors with creative backgrounds and they have the skills to help small businesses in
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that industry to navigate the current situation,” he said. “The advisors can also provide information about government support options for the NSW arts and cultural sector and put organisations in touch with State agencies.” Minister for the Arts Don Harwin encouraged small creative organisations to take up the opportunity for advice from Business Connect about the support measures available. “All guidance provided by Business Connect advisors is currently free of charge and has already proven itself to be invaluable to 6700 small businesses,” Mr Harwin said.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for the NSW arts and cultural sector that has been so greatly valued by the community over this difficult time.” “The arts sector supports about 118,000 jobs across NSW and contributes $16.4B directly and indirectly to NSW’s Gross State Product.” The new advisors are among an additional 40 to be engaged through Business Connect to assist small businesses as they deal with the impacts of COVID-19. In total, Business Connect has more than 110 business advisors. Phone 1300 134 359 for more information.
CENTRAL COAST BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2020
