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Media Statement to Bendigo Advertiser (Regional tourism)

The Morrison Government’s unprecedented $260 billion coronavirus support package is providing an incredible level of support for the Australian economy including the vital tourism sector across regional Victoria.

This support includes job-saving programs like JobKeeper, small business tax cuts, cash flow boost payments and the increased instant asset write off program as well as a domestic tourism campaign which will drive more visitors to visit regional Victoria.

These measures are already having an impact within our economy, with the National Skills Commission reporting that 5% of Victorian businesses increased their staffing levels between April and May.

Lisa Chesters should spend more time assisting local regional businesses in Bendigo to access these job-saving lifelines and cease playing politics with the COVID-19 recovery.

Taxes for tourism operators and small businesses with revenues less than $50 million have also been cut in 2020-21 from 27.5 to 26%, giving Bendigo small businesses another boost when they need it most.

This extensive level of support includes the $100,000 cash-flow boost payment to small and medium businesses as well as the Coronavirus Small-Medium Enterprise local guarantee scheme, which is giving thousands of tourism operators around Australia a lifeline throughout the pandemic.

Bendigo tourism operators are also taking advantage of the JobKeeper program which is keeping local tourism operators across regional Victoria connected to their employees during the travel restrictions and so far, 4,200 organisations in the Bendigo Electorate are enrolled in the program.

The Australian Government is also investing a nation-wide marketing campaign to tap into the $20 billion extra dollars spent overseas by Australian than foreign tourists spend in Australia.

With our international borders closed, there is a real opportunity to boost Australia’s domestic tourist industry.

2 July 2020

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