From the Ministry

Building resilience for our post-pandemic future

As politicians, we’re not known for understating things. But it’s a massive understatement to say 2020 has been a tough year for Australia.

From a summer of devastating bushfires to an unprecedented global pandemic, families, communities and businesses have been challenged like never before. The unseen enemy of COVID-19 has tested us not only as a health crisis, but as a barrier to being able to do business as usual. But we are enduring. Regions devastated by fire are rebuilding and those businesses who had to change how they operate because of COVID-19 have gone online, pivoted their operations and are using amazing Aussie ingenuity to continue to open their doors. As a Government we knew we had to take immediate, short-term steps to keep Australians in jobs, support businesses and position the economy to recover. As the pandemic rolls on we are continuing to provide unprecedented levels of support to households and businesses. We are extending JobKeeper by six months to March next year.This extension will provide further support to significantly impacted businesses so more Australians can retain their jobs and continue to earn an income. We are also providing cash flow support for small and medium-sized businesses, wage subsidy support for businesses with apprentices and trainees, as well as tax support. But throughout this pandemic we haven’t lost sight of the future, because we know that resilience is key to ensuring our businesses can seize opportunities when conditions improve. Our manufacturers are a great example of what can be achieved by addressing the here and now, while also thinking about the future. Our manufacturers were called on to step up during the COVID-19 crisis and with the support of government managed to deliver a range of incredible outcomes – from ramping up production of face masks, to making highly technical invasive ventilators. Our need to respond to the COVID-19 crisis has helped develop resilience that will hold us in good stead for the future. Not only will we be able to support ourselves in a crisis going forward, we have established new market opportunities in a post-pandemic world. Our Government has also been focussed on supporting our manufacturers to become more competitive. We’re helping around 200 manufacturers to invest in new technologies and upskill their workers “Throughout this pandemic we haven’t lost sight of the future, because we know that resilience is key to ensuring our businesses can seize opportunities when conditions improve. Our manufacturers are a great example of what can be achieved by addressing the here and now, while also thinking about the future.”

through the Manufacturing Modernisation Fund. Our $48.3m has unlocked $215m in projects that will create around 2,600 new jobs. But it’s not just our manufacturers who’ve been embracing digital tools to become more resilient and competitive. Small and medium-sized businesses of all kinds have turned to technology to help them get through the crisis. In doing so they’ve made themselves stronger and more likely to succeed when things open back up. Increasing digitisation of businesses is essential to the growth of our economy and to creating jobs. But with opportunity comes risk and we need to make sure our businesses have the cyber skills they need to protect themselves in the digital world. Upgrading cyber security and online skills are particularly important for the resilience of small and medium-sized businesses which comprise 98% of all Australian businesses. Our Government’s Cyber Security Strategy 2020 includes a $26.5m Skills Partnership Innovation Fund that will help build cyber career pathways and get Australians into jobs. Another initiative of the strategy is the $8.3m Cyber Security Connect and Protect Program, which will boost existing industry efforts to help small and medium-sized businesses increase their cybersecurity capability. We want to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis with competitive and resilient businesses that can compete both at home and on the global stage. Shocks and stresses like COVID-19 will continue to happen, but by addressing the now with a view to the future, Australia will be prepared to weather them.