THE Coalition government\u2019s JobKeeper program is no more, but business leaders in Geelong and the Surf Coast say it will take weeks if not months for the impact of the end of the wage subsidy scheme to become clear.<\/p>\n
The scheme wound up on March 28, as the Coalition had been flagging for months, despite calls from some business sectors and federal Labor for JobKeeper to be extended again.<\/p>\n
Treasury estimated between 100,000 to 150,000 jobs would be lost when JobKeeper ended, but Geelong Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Ben Flynn hoped that was the worst-case scenario.<\/p>\n
\u201cI must admit, we\u2019re all in the dark about JobKeeper,\u201d Mr Flynn said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a sense of foreboding, but we temper that with over the past 12 months, we\u2019ve always expected the worst and at times been pleasantly surprised, and at times not.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost people in reality are unaffected as most people have weaned off it.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we do have to empathise with those industries – the arts, hospitality, tourism – who have been so hardest hit and will continue to be hit and aren\u2019t getting the targeted support they need.<\/p>\n
\u201cI imagine you\u2019ll be looking at a six-month or 12-month period to see the end result.\u201d<\/p>\n
Commerce Torquay president Jeff Crow said the timing of JobKeeper\u2019s end ahead of the traditionally active Easter period could provide a buffer of sorts of businesses into May or even June.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this came in after Easter, and everything was in the process of slowing down, I think we\u2019d see a few more jobs going.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut knowing that we\u2019ve got two weeks being busy and a lot of places will struggle for quality and quantity of staff this year, I don\u2019t think you\u2019re going to see a lot of places giving up staff just yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I don\u2019t think anyone\u2019s waited until March 29 and said \u2018Okay, now what do we do?\u2019, I think everyone\u2019s had enough time to prepare for this.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t see there being any effect for a few weeks at least.\u201d<\/p>\n
Business and Tourism Anglesea president Damien Cerantonio agreed, and said determining the impact would not be as easy as looking at job losses in May.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you go back for the past 50 years, there are always going to be job losses after Easter, but we\u2019re not going to see a drastic rise in vacant shops and businesses closing,\u201d Mr Cerantonio said.<\/p>\n
He said JobKeeper\u2019s end would put pressure on business regardless of when it stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether it ended today or in six months, people would say \u2018Extend it again, extend it again\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think businesses are okay with JobKeeper ending, but I think the lockdown issue is a bigger issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though those cheap flight deals have been announced, the majority of people still aren\u2019t confident to book an interstate holiday.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the return of events would help businesses through the winter, as would spending on infrastructure to drive the economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn terms of hotels, restaurants and attractions, we\u2019ve all been given 12 months to work things out,\u201d Mr Cerantonio said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I think the argument would be that if your business isn\u2019t going to survive now, it isn\u2019t necessarily going to survive in three months.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE Coalition government\u2019s JobKeeper program is no more, but business leaders in Geelong and the Surf Coast say it will take weeks if not months for the impact of the end of the wage subsidy scheme to become clear. The scheme wound up on March 28, as the Coalition had been flagging for months, despite […]<\/p>\n