Off the map: Hospitality operators disappointed by state’s roadmap to coronavirus recovery

THE state government’s roadmap for easing coronavirus restrictions in the Surf Coast has received a mixed reception, with some hospitality operators left disappointed by its cautious approach.
Revealed by Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday, the roadmap lays out a five-step approach (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.
Growlers owner Peter Hansen hoped his Torquay restaurant would be returned to the density restrictions and social distancing of the first lockdown.
“We were actually looking forward to the announcement, we thought there may be an easing of restrictions in the regional centres – we don’t have the cases the metropolitan area have – but that’s not the case, so we just plod on the way we are,” he said.
“When we did reopen, hospitality was probably more regulated and had more controls than any other industry.
“So it’s disappointing, to say the least.”
He said the continuing restrictions were working against the spirit of the federal government’s extended JobKeeper program, as pubs and restaurants could not yet employ extra staff.
Joel Taylor of the Taylor Group, which operates the Torquay 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”.
G21 chief executive officer Elaine Carbines said the Geelong region had to stay the course.
“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.