The Federal Government is implementing a range of support measures for both individuals and businesses affected by the current coronavirus crisis.
There have been a number of policy announcements, which are general in nature, as the finer details are being finalised.
Your local, state and federal representatives are working cooperatively together to assist our community. This morning, I convened a teleconference with all local State Members of Parliament and Mayors.
My office has received a number of queries regarding obligations to meet bank repayments and pay rent. The moratoriums announced are intended to offer relief to individuals and businesses to the extent to which they have experienced a reduction in their income or revenue as a result of the coronavirus crisis. They are not intended to be a blanket lifting of all contractual obligations, and measures will be implemented to tighten loopholes, in due course.
Locally, we are doing as much as possible to support small businesses and their employees.
You can help by choosing to support smaller operators in our area and buying Australian made, where possible.
Cherry’s Catering is delivering free meals to busy frontline Healthcare workers at Joondalup Health Campus. Community donations can be made here
I am also supporting restaurants and cafes by providing free stickers to local venues OPEN for take away sales, and promoting them on my website.
Together we will get through this.
RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
On Monday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced the Morrison Government's third stage of our economic response to COVID-19.
This means more support for Australian workers and the businesses that employ them.
The Morrison Governments' historic wage subsidy will support around 6 million workers across Australia.
The $130 billion JobKeeper payment will help keep Australians in jobs and tackle the significant economic impact we face as a result of COVID-19.
Businesses will be able to apply to the Australian Tax Office, as of today for the payment.
To view business eligibility criteria - please click here
Businesses who have had to stand down staff prior to this announcement will also be eligible, provided employees are re-engaged.
This includes both full and part-time workers, as long as they were with the business following March 1, it will also include casual workers who have been employed for at least 12 months.
To view the full range of assistance available to businesses - please click here
LATEST ADVICE
The advice is clear - stay at home and keep at least 1.5 metres away from other people wherever possible. These further measures are intended to help slow the spread of the coronavirus and save lives and livelihoods.
SUPPORT FOR MENTAL HEALTH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, MEDICARE SERVICES
The Morrison Government has announced a $1.1 billion package boosting support for mental health services, domestic violence support, Medicare assistance for people at home and emergency food relief.
As a Government, we are focused on saving lives and saving livelihoods and this new support package will provide much-needed care and help to so many Australians facing hardship at no fault of their own.
Read more
WA HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANCE
Energy Assistance Payment
Eligibility for the previously announced Energy Assistance Payment boost has been expanded to include new eligible applicants until September 30, 2020.
This doubles the amount of the EAP per year to $610 and provides a boost to Western Australians affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19).
This ensures that any person unemployed due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) who becomes eligible for a concession card will receive an upfront $305 credited against their electricity bill (from May 11, 2020) and up to a further $305 credited over the course of the next year.
EAP boost payments for Western Australians, eligible as at March 16, 2020 have been brought forward to this financial year rather than being paid from July 1, 2020 providing relief sooner to WA households.
The extension of eligibility of the EAP boost is expected to increase the cost by $24.4 million to $115.8 million.
Financial hardship
No households in Western Australia experiencing financial hardship as a result of Coronavirus (COVID-19) will have their power or water disconnected. In addition, as of tomorrow no interest will be charged on deferred bill payments for those experiencing Coronavirus (COVID-19)-related financial hardship. This applies to Synergy and Horizon Power customers.
Households that are directly or indirectly impacted by Coronavirus (COVID-19) may also apply for an interest-free payment arrangement and for late payment penalties to be waived for transfer duty, landholder duty, vehicle licence duty or land tax.
Keystart customers facing financial hardship due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) can apply to defer principal repayments and waive interest costs by up to six months. Assistance will be assessed on a case-by-case basis in line with Keystart's Hardship Assessment policy.
This will mean, for example, a customer borrowing $350,000 over a 30-year loan can defer estimated repayments of $10,690 over six months, or $1,781 per month. The interest saving over a six-month period would be around $7,000 for newly established loans.
These initiatives will be in place until September 30, 2020 and will be reviewed when necessary.
BUSINESS ASSISTANCE
Relief on electricity bills
Electricity bills for around 95,000 small businesses will be reduced, with a one-off $2,500 credit available for Synergy and Horizon Power customers that consume less than 50 megawatt hours (MWh) per annum.
The credit is available for current customers (as of March 31, 2020) and will be allocated from May 1, 2020 to reduce current and future electricity bills.
The measure will provide some $236.8 million in relief to businesses such as cafes, delis, restaurants, beauticians and small retail stores that have been heavily impacted by recent trading restrictions to contain Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Relief on payroll tax
Payroll tax will be waived for a four-month period between March 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020 for small-to-medium sized businesses with Australia-wide annual wages of less than $7.5 million in 2019-20.
This will deliver around $165 million in relief to around 10,700 businesses that will not be required to pay payroll tax for this period.
The payroll tax waiver announced today replaces the payroll tax deferral already announced for particular small-to-medium sized businesses.
Relief on licence fees
$100.4 million has been allocated to waive a wide range of licence fees for small and medium‑sized businesses in Coronavirus (COVID-19) impacted industries for the next 12 months.
This includes licences for building services, plumbers and electricians; tourism businesses operating in national and marine parks; boat registration and mooring fees for tourism operators and commercial fishers; commercial fisheries licences; taxi booking service authorisation fees; settlement agent licence fees; and other statutory planning fees.
Liquor licence renewal fees for 2020 will be waived and refunds provided for businesses that have already paid, benefitting around 5,500 businesses with a liquor licence.
Financial hardship
Businesses impacted by Coronavirus (COVID-19) can also apply for an interest-free payment arrangement and for late payment penalties to be waived for payroll tax, transfer duty, landholder duty, vehicle licence duty or land tax.
No small businesses facing financial difficulty due to COVID-19 will face power or water disconnections due to late payments.
In addition, no interest will be charged on deferred bill payments. For electricity, this will apply to Synergy and Horizon Power customers who consume 50MWh or less.
COVID-19 CLINIC IN JOONDALUP
Ground floor Joondalup Hospital (Car park P4, Regents Park Road). Enter via outside walkway between Specialist Medical West and Physiotherapy Department.
This clinic will operate from 8am-8pm, seven days a week and will be staffed by doctors, nurses and administrative staff who will follow strict infection prevention protocols.
The community is reminded that the clinics are not intended to replace the medical care available through their GP or at hospital emergency departments.
WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF
The Chief Medical Officer advises these simple five actions:
Be at least 1.5 metres away from everyone, whenever this is possible.
Wash your hands, do it often and do it properly for at least 20 seconds.
Cough or sneeze into your elbow and not your hands.
Don't touch your face at all, even if it itches.
If you're sick, stay at home
WHAT TO DO IF YOU DEVELOP SYMPTOMS
Support our health system - only seek medical attention if you have symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat, and:
have returned from overseas travel in the last 14 days; or
are a contact of a confirmed Coronavirus (COVID-19) case; or
believe you may have been in close contact with a person infected with Coronavirus (COVID-19).
As the situation develops, the latest Western Australian specific information is available at:
Western Australian Department of Health
Symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19) can range from mild illness to pneumonia. Some people will recover easily, and others may get very sick very quickly.
People with Coronavirus (COVID-19) may experience:
fever
flu-like symptoms such as coughing, sore throat and fatigue
shortness of breath
If you develop symptoms
If you develop symptoms (fever, a cough, sore throat, tiredness or shortness of breath) within 14 days of leaving a country or region that is at higher risk for Coronavirus (COVID-19), or within 14 days of last contact of a confirmed case, you should arrange to see your doctor for urgent assessment. Go to www.health.gov.au/covid19-travellers for the current list of high or moderate risk countries.
You should telephone the health clinic or hospital before you arrive and tell them your travel history or that you may have been in contact with a potential case of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
You must remain isolated either in your home or a healthcare setting until public health authorities inform you it is safe for you to return to your usual activities.
If you would prefer to speak by phone to a Health Professional call Health Direct on 1800 020 080.
If you have serious symptoms such as difficulty breathing
call 000 and ask for an ambulance
tell the ambulance officers that you may have novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
ONGOING UPDATES
Our primary source of Coronavirus (COVID-19) information specific to Western Australia continues to be the Department for Health. For information or to get in contact, go to the link below:
Western Australian Department of Health
If you require further information, you can also call the National Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you have serious symptoms such as difficulty breathing
call 000 and ask for an ambulance
tell the ambulance officers that you may have novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection