TAS COVID-19 - 25 March 2020
As a valued Tasmania member, NECA will be providing updates on COVID 19 each day for the foreseeable future. Please look out for this in your inbox and review in full.
We will endeavor to capture everything relevant to your business, but you will appreciate the situation is constantly evolving so please be patient.
Key developments in the last 24 hours
State
Tasmanian school term to end early
The Premier announced that schools in Tasmania will close schools four days early, from Friday next week.
From the 6th to the 9th of April schools will be student-free.
Federal
Places of social gathering and Social Distancing
National Cabinet agreed to new and enhanced social distance measures, building on the existing measures that are in place. Worksites can and should remain open.
Federal advice is that schools should remain open but implementation of this varies by state.
Further restrictions and closures that will take affect from midnight Wednesday 25 March are listed below and here:
- Food courts to only serve via takeaway.
- Auction houses, real estate auctions and open house inspections will no longer take place.
- Outdoor and indoor markets (excluding food markets) will be addressed by state Government.
- Beauty therapists and massage parlours will close.
- Tanning, waxing and nail salons will close.
- Tattoo parlours will close
- Amusement parks and arcades will close.
- Play centres will close.
- Community and recreational centres, health clubs and fitness centres will close.
- Yoga, barre and spin classes will close.
- Saunas and wellness centres will close.
- Boot camps and personal training will be limited to 10 people maximum.
- Weddings will be limited to no more than five people (including celebrant and witnesses).
- Funerals will be limited to no more than 10 people.
- Family gatherings such as barbecues, birthdays and house parties will not be allowed.
- Hairdressers/barbers will be allowed to remain open with four-square-metre distancing requirement and 30-minute appointments only.
- Cinemas, nightclubs, casinos, gambling venues, adult entertainment venues, concert venues, stadiums all closed.
- Galleries, museums, national institutions, historic sites, libraries, community centres all closed.
- Non-essential facilities, community facilities such as halls, PCYCs and places of worship closed.
- Schools will remain open.
Ban on Australians travelling overseas
The Commonwealth Government is planning to implement a ‘do not travel’ ban on Australians travelling overseas under the Biosecurity Act 2015.
This will help avoid travellers returning to Australia with coronavirus and the risks of spreading coronavirus to other countries.
Exemptions, which will be managed by the Australian Border Force, will apply to a range of categories of travellers, including for those citizens ordinarily resident overseas, where travel is essential or necessary, where travel is in our national interest, and on compassionate and humanitarian grounds.
This prohibition is aligned with the Government’s decision to raise the Smartraveller Travel Advice to Level 4 - Do Not Travel overseas.
Key past announcements
State
23 March 2020 – Hobart City Council approved a Community Support package. For further information see here
TAS STATE OF EMERGENCY
19 March 2020 - Peter Gutwein, the TAS Premier declared a State of Emergency including Tasmanian border restrictions. For further information see here and here
TAS SUPPORT AND STIMULAS PACKAGE
17 March 2020 - the TAS Premier announced a $420 Million support package. Details can be seen here
ESSENTIAL TRAVELLERS Information
All Non-Essential Travellers arriving in Tasmania will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Tasmania. If you meet the criteria for Essential Travellers status you may be exempted from the 14 day quarantine requirement but you must still comply with the conditions described in Quarantine conditions for Essential Travellers.
To apply as an Essential Traveller please find the information and forms here
If you have a group of employees, contractors or other specialists requiring access to Tasmania who are not classed as essential travellers
- It may be necessary to seek an exemption for a class of people required for the essential and proper functioning of Tasmania.
- An application for an exemption can be made to the Secretary, Department of Primary Industries, Parks and Environment for an exemption. A form is available on the DPIPWE website: www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au
- If you have an employee, contractor or other specialist whom you know will need to travel to Tasmania in the future who you think meets the criteria You may wish to fill in the Tasmanian Arrivals Card in advance and submit it to: Arrivalcards@dpac.tas.gov.au This is not essential, as the Tasmanian Arrivals Card can be submitted to Biosecurity Tasmania Officers upon arrival in Tasmania.
- If you have an employee, contractor or other specialist that needs to access Tasmania who may not match the criteria If you consider the person’s work reason for travel does not fit any of the definitions, or you are unclear, then an application can be made to the Secretary, Department of Primary Industries, Parks and Environment for an exemption prior to arrival. A form is available on the DPIPWE website.
https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/Documents/Important%20information%20for%20Businesses.pdf
Federal
Economic Response to the Coronavirus
The Federal Government package includes the following measures:
- expansion to the eligibility of Jobseeker Payments to support sole traders and the self-employed,
- cash payment of up to $100,000 for the period March 2020 to September 2020, worth 100% of the tax those small and medium size businesses (SME) with a turnover less than $50 million are withholding from their employee’s salary and wages,
- coronavirus SME Guarantee Scheme to support SMEs with a turnover less than $50 million. The Commonwealth will guarantee 50%, through the participating banks, of an eligible loan to small and medium enterprise customers that have been impacted by the coronavirus,
- cash flow support to employers, whereby the Government is providing up to $100,000 to eligible SMEs, and not-for-profits (NFPs) that employ people, with a minimum payment of $20,000,
- temporary relief for financially distressed businesses,
- immediate, quick and efficient credit for SMEs.
NECA Resources
Business advice and support
NECA is mobilising resources to support members, in particular to access government support outlined above.
Relevant employment legislation – Fair Work has published these FAQs which providing guidance on managing employment issues arising from COVID 19.
NECA has updated its Stand Down advice. Please see the latest document here.
Webinars - NECA is hosting a series of webinars, which members can register for here.
Workplace health and safety advice and support
For information please log on into the NECA TKB. To access TKB, please click on the link www.necatkb.com
Once you have logged in click on the Safety STAR icon. Safety STAR is located on the NECA TKB website, you will need to log into NECA TKB.
Policy proposals/ media releases
NECA is developing a comprehensive set of policy proposals aimed at helping members manage the current crisis and rebuild in the future.
Payroll tax: NECA is calling for state governments to give businesses a ‘hand up, not a hand out’ by abolishing payroll tax for all small and medium businesses to help combat the continued economic turmoil caused by COVID-19.Link to media release
Contracting an essential service: Electrical contracting constitutes an essential service as set out in legislation, and NECA will be advocating accordingly so work can go ahead when it is safe to do so.
Support for apprentices: NECA is calling for the federal government to take a holistic approach to supporting apprentices in these challenging times. Link to media release
Health advice
Please monitor the following sources for the latest health advice:
NECA has a dedicated webpage for all COVID 19 updates here.
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