Tuesday 29 June 2021
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) welcomed the relief package announced today for NSW but renewed its calls for a nationally consistent approach to Covid restrictions with retailers large and small bearing the brunt of lockdown confusion.
ARA CEO Paul Zahra said lockdowns are currently in place in NSW, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, with Queensland to come, but the approach differs across the jurisdictions when it comes to retail rules, protocols and enforcement.
"A nationally consistent approach is critical to ensure consumers, business and retail teams can play their role safely, efficiently and effectively. Currently, confusion reigns whenever restrictions are announced. This adds time and further cost for retailers and food operators on top of the heavy impact they already wear on lost retail trade. A year and a half into the pandemic, there's no excuse for this confusion," Mr Zahra said.
"Currently, lockdowns mean different things to different states. If you're a fashion retailer in Sydney you're still allowed to open under the current stay-at-home orders, however the current health instructions are to shop for 'essentials' only, leaving many retailers open with no customers.
"For retailers with a national footprint, this lack of clarity is unnecessarily stressful. Businesses are at the mercy of the different state and territory leaders in terms of what defines essential and how they might respond to new Covid cases in the community. There's no consistency and it leads to mass confusion for retailers and customers.
"We must have national harmonisation on what triggers a lockdown, and what is defined as essential and non-essential retail, and the only way we can achieve that is through agreement at National Cabinet."
NSW business support package
The ARA welcomes the NSW Government's support package for businesses currently affected by the stay-at-home orders, but with more than two billion in lost retail trade anticipated in NSW alone, further measures are needed to get businesses back on a stable footing.
"Businesses - including many small businesses - are already bearing the cost of lockdown this year, with no safety net in place. It's important we get cash into the hands of businesses as soon as possible and we need to ensure that support is targeted to those who need it most," Mr Zahra said.
"Small businesses in the CBD are a significant ongoing concern. They were already dealing with Covid impacts before this latest outbreak, due to the lack of tourists and city office workers. Today's financial hardship grants, payroll tax deferrals and an extension of the Dine & Discover program are a step in the right direction.
"If the lockdown is extended beyond two weeks, a more substantial package will be needed."
Vaccine rollout
"The vaccine rollout is of critical importance. It's the only way we'll get life back to some sort of normal, where we can avoid these sorts of lockdowns and restrictions in the future," Mr Zahra said.
"We're pleased to see the Prime Minister's announcement to make jabs available to everyone under 60, provided they get the all clear from their GP. We need to be doing everything we can to encourage people to get vaccinated."
