Executive

PERSPECTIVE

Our industry has been working hard to ensure our people remain safe and well during COVID-19. We understand some businesses have been hit hard but others have been busier than before. We know we are a resilient industry and we will overcome the challenges.

Our thoughts and wishes are with our Victorian colleagues and their members as they are further

Penny Cornah, Executive Director challenged with additional lockdown measures.

JobKeeper

The Federal Treasurer has announced eased JobKeeper eligibility, whereby businesses will only need to show that their GST turnover has fallen in the quarter ending in September to qualify for the scheme’s extension.

Under the new rules, businesses will have easier access to the extension, but the payment rate will drop as planned from $1,500 to $1,200. The $750 flat rate for those working less than 20 hours per week will also proceed as previously announced.

Supporting Apprentices and Training Wage Subsidy

The Federal Government also recently announced an extension to the Supporting Apprentices and Training Wage Subsidy. The original scheme provided small businesses with a wage subsidy of 50 percent of the apprentice wages up to a maximum of $7,000 per apprentice per quarter.

This subsidy is extending the time period and also expanding to include medium-sized businesses who had an apprentice in place on 1 July 2020.

The Silent Impact of COVID-19

How things have changed since my last message! We are still very much in the grasp of a worldwide pandemic that threatens the way we live. The COVID-19 virus has changed the way we all work, rest, and play, and it does not seem to be getting any better. Since March this year, the world has been

Kent Vickers, President plunged into a predicament that has taken its toll on our freedoms.

We have had to rethink the way we interact socially and the way we run our businesses. There is no precedent to follow so the ground rules were made up very much on the run. In my last article, I mentioned that most of our members were not feeling any financial impact and business overall was going very well. I have not heard any conversations that suggest that this has changed; however, I know that some of our members have faced particular difficulties during this period, and I want to let you know that MPAQ is here to support you.

The staff at the MPAQ have done an amazing job keeping our members up to date and informed of the government funding available and other

HR changes that impact our businesses. They have conducted dozens of webinars to keep some normality in our lives. Thank you. Perhaps being included as part of the essential services has shielded us from the major financial impact the rest of the country has endured. This is good news for our members who employ apprentices. We have been lobbying for this subsidy to be expanded to larger businesses, and we are thrilled that this subsidy has been implemented from 1 July 2020 to 31 March 2021.

Small businesses can apply for a wage subsidy of 50 percent of the apprentice or trainees’ wages paid until 31 March 2021. Previously the scheme was to end on 30 September 2020. Any employer who re-engages an apprentice or trainee displaced from an eligible small or medium business may also be eligible for the subsidy.

Supply Chain

Recently, we reached out to our corporate supporters to find out if anyone is experiencing supply chain delays. The majority of our corporate supporters indicated that they are not currently experiencing shortages; however, a couple advised of small transport delays. This is positive news as we are aware that some industries have severely been impacted due to COVID-19.

Mental Health

MPAQ has partnered with MATES in Construction (MIC) to provide our members with the important information they need about mental health in the workplace. Over recent years, mental health is a topic that society has been talking about more openly, and the stigma seems to be changing. As a predominantly male-dominated industry, the plumbing and gas trades must engage in mental health and suicide prevention to help protect our colleagues and friends. This year MPAQ partnered with This is a Conversation Starter (TIACS) to raise funds at our events and activities. Visit www.tiacs.org to learn more about TIACS.

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 we have only raised $4,758 so far, but hope to raise more at events later this year. Please take the time to check in with your work colleagues, friends, and family. If they need support please connect them to organisations like MIC and TIACS.

To contact me please call 07 3273 0800 or email penny.cornah@mpaq.com.au.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Stay safe.

One thing that all Australians (and indeed the rest of the world) have faced is the uncertainty around the duration of the restrictions each state has enforced. These constraints are crippling our economy, and it will be a long, hard road back to prosperity. The financial uncertainty has the potential to cause business confidence to drop and cause delays in new projects getting underway. This is not good for a quick return to a budget surplus.

I think we all realise the consequences we are facing on a financial level, but I want to flag one thing that we should all be aware of, and this does not only apply to the construction industry. The pain and suffering that some of our family and friends are experiencing due to the strain on our economy has taken its toll on our mental wellbeing and is an underestimated cost to our society. Now, more than ever, we need to be keeping a close eye on our workmates, family, and friends that are experiencing uncertainty with their jobs. The fallout from having their working hours reduced, or in some cases finding themselves unemployed, can have a catastrophic effect on their mental health.

I would like to encourage you all to talk to your friends and family, and if you do notice a difference, don’t be afraid to ask if they are ok! Reassure them that everything will be alright, and if you need to refer them to one of the many agencies that are able to lend support then make sure you follow through. Quite often the fact that someone has noticed that they are not themselves makes all the difference, and it will let them know that someone cares.

I hope the next article starts with a more positive message, so until then take care, be safe, and follow the hygiene rules.