A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIR
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’m writing to you from quarantine in self-isolation in WA! Like so many of you, I have had to make many very difficult decisions over the past few weeks to ensure my own business makes it through to the other side of COVID. In the weeks leading up to the March shut-down I was franticly organising tradies putting the finishing touches on two new Coal River Farm retail outlets in Perth and Fremantle, rushing to have them open in time for Easter. Those stores have been sitting empty since, chewing through rent, earning no income, and causing me far too many sleepless nights.
It has been a disruption like no other, and my thoughts are with all my tourism colleagues across the State. Especially the many of you, who, like my family, have it all on the line. It’s been tough.
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With restrictions easing in WA, last week I made the decision to fly-over and go into quarantine for 14 days so I can finally get these stores open and generating some revenue. Mine might be an extreme example, but so many of us in business have had to do things we never would have imagined doing just ten weeks ago. Letting much valued staff go, or cutting their hours, seeking government support and loan deferrals, and resetting budgets and business plans with no real certainty about when things might begin to normalise.
It has been a disruption like no other, and my thoughts are with all my tourism colleagues across the State. Especially the many of you, who, like my family, have it all on the line. It’s been tough. The good news is there is a light at the end of the tunnel, with local restrictions now easing, and many operators looking forward to a resumption of activities over winter. We are hearing encouraging reports about Tasmanians booking winter getaways, particularly around the July School Holidays. The intrastate market is not going to be the same for everyone, and we need to be realistic about its scale and the economic challenges many Tasmanian families are now confronting, meaning getaways are not possible for everyone. But it’s something we need to embrace, and it will be so great to see people travelling the State again soon. Obviously, attention has now turned to our interstate borders, and when we can expect to welcome back our interstate visitors. The reality for many businesses like mine, is that this is when our recovery can really begin.
