Geelong tourist operators grapple with return of Stage 3 restrictions

THE impacts of the coronavirus pandemic continue to be felt locally, with many Geelong businesses shutting up shop with the return of the stage 3 lockdown in regional Victoria.
Tourism numbers have plummeted across the region, initially from the ban on international visitors but more recently because of state government restrictions on movement.
Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine (TGGB) acting executive director Tracy Carter said August 3 was “a tough day to be a Victorian, especially one in the tourism industry”.
“Our team is so disappointed for all the business operators in our region who’ve already endured months of restrictions and shutdowns, only to be returned to those very challenging Stage 3 restrictions.”
She said businesses should use the resources that were being made available to them, including state and federal grants as well as the COVID-19 Support Centre on the TGGB website.
“It’s been an emotionally draining time and it’s still a developing situation in terms of business financial assistance. Please be kind to yourselves, support each other as best you can and take up the support that’s available to your business and you personally.”
The Coalition Government’s economic statement last month revealed Australia had a record deficit of $85 billion in 2019-20, largely driven by a rise in spending in response to the coronavirus and falls in revenue.
The Coalition has already extended and modified its JobKeeper wage subsidy program but is not expected to fully reveal its spending measures until the budget is handed down in October.
Corangamite Labor federal member Libby Coker is continuing to call for more government support for the tourism sector in the Geelong region.
She said she would not criticise the Coalition for the deficit, and that Labor would have done much the same if the party were in power, but some of the Coalition’s stimulus spending was “misdirected”.
“There should be more support for our struggling tourism sector, especially here in Corangamite along the Surf Coast, Great Ocean Road and in the Bellarine.”