A local cash injection in response to the financial hardship small to medium businesses and community groups is set to help stimulate resilience for the Isaac region's economic future.
A local cash injection in response to the financial hardship small to medium businesses and community groups is set to help stimulate resilience for the Isaac region's economic future.
Isaac Regional Council is spearheading a local economic response with the Road to COVID-19 Recovery Stimulus Packages.
This program features two funding grants to complement the assistance already provided by the Australian and Queensland governments.
Mayor Anne Baker said Isaac is a diverse and fiercely independent community which has had its fair share of challenging times in recent years.
"We're now faced with the COVID-19 pandemic and short-term economic instability," Mayor Baker said.
"The Road to COVID-19 Recovery Stimulus Packages has two parts. The first is the Isaac Region Community Chest Fund with grants up to $10,000 available for our small to medium business owners who genuinely need an extra helping hand right now.
"This grant provides short-term business continuity and longer-term resilience assistance. This could help with getting the professional advice, maybe looking to diversify, those re-establishment costs to get up and running again or paying outgoing costs such as bills and rent.
"The Isaac Community Chest Fund is proudly supported by its initiating contributors BHP, Anglo American and Aquila Resources/South32 to help Isaac Regional Council deliver this local economic response to the Coronavirus.
"We are also working with many other generous supporters to finalise further contributions to the fund.
"This business community chest is an ongoing support mechanism for the community, and I encourage those large enterprises that are willing to help to please contact my office.
"We'd love to have as many on board as possible as this is a community effort.
"We're very thankful for everyone's commitment to our region during these trying times.
"For the second part of this local package, we are encouraging our sporting and recreational groups, our not-for-profit organisations, our cultural groups who are doing it tough to apply for up to $5,000 through our Special Emergency Community Grants.
"The social distancing rules and suspension of gatherings has seen the source of revenue to fund recurrent expenses supporting the operations and memberships of organisations take a devastating hit."
Mayor Baker said Isaac's resilience and determination will be the region's greatest assets.
"This is a time we once again embrace change and chart our own course to a sustainable future during these unprecedented times," Mayor Baker said.
"In addition to supporting the members facing hardship and not-for-profit organisations, we adopted our Pandemic and Tactical Response Framework in March to navigate our way through these troubling waters.
"This is the framework to how we address and manage our own business continuity, our disaster management structure, identifying the community support and our business community support.
"We are responding to the situation and implementing our strategies to work through this challenge, together."
