Dr Anne Webster MP – Disaster-hobbled Halls Gap businesses suffer Labor’s scorched-earth…
Halls Gap businesses still limping through a weaker trading year due to bushfire-enforced closures during their peak trading season are still waiting for even the miniscule $5,000 relief Labor has offered them, Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster learned in Halls Gap on Thursday.
“I am horrified to hear from businesses in unison at a forum I organised yesterday that none of them have received Labor’s $5,000 Business Bushfire Recovery Grants for disaster-related business interruptions,” Dr Webster said.
“I cannot believe what I am hearing – that businesses are being told the eligibility criteria still hasn’t been determined, 23 days after federal/state funding was announced.”
This latest delay follows three months of State Labor dithering, after the Christmas-New Year Grampians fire, seeking Federal Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements Category D Exceptional Circumstances funding.
“After cyclones or floods in Queensland, generous equivalent State/Federal Government funding was released under two weeks, not months. The delay in Victoria is disgraceful’. Dr Webster said.
“Labor’s latest incompetency now looks more like a scorched earth tactic towards regional Victorians. Whether it is a lack of effort, competency or both, Labor’s inability to deliver basic, confirmed funding relief to tourism businesses in the Grampians and Western Victoria can only be interpreted as a broader tactic to shrink communities like Halls Gap and instead centre economic growth on Labor darlings, Melbourne, Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong.”
“I call upon the Federal and State Ministers to intervene immediately and review the adequacy of the funding itself and the delay in delivering it.
“One business owner told me she had lost $1 million revenue since December. Labor’s failed offerings are insulting at best.
“Labor’s scorched earth approach to western Victoria is now, itself, a disaster contributing to the economic pain and heartache of communities like Halls Gap and regional Victorians.
“Do we need to add Labor Government failures in duty of care to the list of disasters threatening regional communities?”
For further comment please contact Rikki Lambert on 0427 310 770