Off the map: Some industries disappointed by state’s roadmap to coronavirus recovery

THE state government’s roadmap for easing coronavirus restrictions in the Bellarine has received a mixed reception, with some industries left disappointed by its cautious approach.
Revealed by Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday, the roadmap lays out a five-step approach for regional Victoria (with the first step only applying to metropolitan Melbourne, which has an entirely separate roadmap).
Hospitality operators will have to remain under the existing Stage 3 restrictions of only take-away and delivery until step three of the roadmap, which will allow mostly outdoor service, a group limit of 10 and density limits.
However, step three will not come into effect until regional Victoria has a two-week average of less than five new coronavirus cases a day and no cases with an unknown source over the previous two weeks.
Joel Taylor of the Taylor Group, which operates the Barwon Heads Hotel and Grovedale Hotel, said the roadmap was “a whole bunch of news that really meant nothing for our industry”.
“We’re dependent on the case numbers, which I just think is unnecessary.
“The hotel industry has proven we can provide safe COVID-19 environments – especially regionally, we’ve had to prove we could do it and we did – but that has been disregarded by the government and we feel we’ve been pushed aside once again.”
He said the requirement of no new cases for 28 days needed to reach the fifth step of COVID Normal (which will have no restrictions for hospitality other than record-keeping of patrons) “might be one of the most difficult things to do with this virus”.
Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine acting executive director Tracy Carter said the roadmap “wasn’t as optimistic as tourism operators were hoping for”, and noted the restrictions in Melbourne were affecting a large proportion of the visitor market to the region.
“It’ll be a little bit where our tourism businesses will rely on local support.”
Intrastate travel is allowed between regional areas in step three of the roadmap, and Ms Carter said there could be an opportunity for that “if things go well and the numbers go well” by the end of September.
“Hopefully the numbers will trend down, and the milestones will be hit as soon as they can be hit to get Melburnians down here again.”
G21 chief executive officer Elaine Carbines said the Geelong region had to stay the course laid out in the roadmap.
“I think a lot of people in our region hoped there might be a little bit more in it, but you have to be compelled by the advice and the scientific evidence and the modelling.
“I think the end’s in sight, and for me, the goal now is summer and Christmas.”
For the latest updates, head to dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus.