Following the government's directive today that all non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people are banned from 16 March and that the states would be moving to enact legislation to effect this, Live Performance Australia called for confirmation on the timeframe for the ban.
"This is an unprecedented crisis and will have a catastrophic impact on jobs and revenue as shows and festivals across the country are cancelled. What we need now is a timeframe so companies can plan for closure," Ms Richardson said.
"The brutal reality is that many performing arts companies do not have the financial reserves to ride out a period of enforced closure. Knowing now if we are planning for a one, two or three-month closure period is vital. See infographic here
"Our preliminary numbers indicate that over three months, half a billion dollars in revenue and thousands of jobs will be lost. Companies across the country have been running solvency tests all weekend."
Ms Richardson said the Government must also urgently announce an emergency industry support package to deal with the imminent loss of thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in income across the live performance sector. All levels of government will need to respond. Germany and Denmark have confirmed industry support while other countries, such as the UK, are scoping assistance as part of event bans.
"The cancellation of live performance events of all shapes and sizes is already decimating jobs and income for those who work in the industry, and this will only escalate in the coming days and weeks.
"Performers, production and technical crews, venue and hospitality staff are being hurt right now and government support is required to get them through this extremely difficult time.
"Our industry needs support now, and it will also need a recovery plan for the months ahead when we reactivate. We look forward to working with government in the days ahead to get this into place as a matter of urgency," Ms Richardson said.
