TJS Services
TJS Services is a leading national facility services provider. We deliver quality cleaning, maintenance, construction and facility management services to over 1,500 sites Australia wide. Our…
read moreIndoor spaces including workplaces, cinemas and theatres, restaurants, bars and pubs are now being forced to comply with an indoor limit of one person for every four square metres.
While indoor gatherings of fewer than 100 people are still allowed, the new guidelines say there needs to be at least four square metres available for every person in the area.
Ramping up the social distancing rules all Australians should now stick to in an attempt to halt the spread of Coronavirus, Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison stated "earlier (this week), I announced the 100-person limit on non-essential indoor gatherings, and I went through the list of those things that were essential.
"But what we are now moving to is an arrangement for gatherings of less than 100, is that there would be 4 metre² provided per person in an enclosed space, in a room. So that's 2 metres by 2 metres.
"So for example, if you've got a room, if you've got a premises, if you've got a meeting room or something like that, that is 100 metre², then you can have 25 people in that room.
"Now, in addition to that, you should continue to practise wherever possible the 1 metre or 1.5 metres of healthy distance between each of us, to ensure that we are limiting the contact and limiting the potential for the spread of the virus."
With the Coronavirus continuing to spread, the ongoing economic uncertainty it has provoked sparked has prompted the Federal Government to announce that its budget will be delayed from May until October, with the states expected to follow suit.
However, Federal Government has today launched a second wave of economic stimulus packages while the Reserve Bank of Australian has slashed it its rates to 0.25% and rolled out a new money-printing program for the first time in Australia’s history.
The central bank will implement a $90 billion funding facility that will include a three-year funding facility for cheap loans in an effort to support businesses that have seen cash flows dry up.
Up to $15 billion will be used to allow smaller lenders to continue to support Australian consumers and small businesses.
The announcements come as the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) delivered an open letter to all levels of government highlighting “the collective grief currently experienced by Australia’s tourism industry” in the wake of the summer bushfires and ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
ATEC's letter announced "your packages, while welcomed, sit in government coffers while our tourism businesses are dying.
“Businesses across the country are at the end, having endured two catastrophic setbacks in less than three months. Yesterday’s decision to close the borders marks the end for many tourism businesses, particularly the Inbound Tour Operator businesses which are the travel intermediaries at the centre of our industry.
“We are hearing harrowing stories of businesses which have, since January, reduced their workforce from 130 to less than 10 with more redundancies to come. These businesses have no hope of ‘staying open’, they can only hope to sit in hibernation and weather this storm.
“If we want them to be there at the other end, when travel returns and our country wants to welcome back international visitors, then we need to support them now. You need to get the money flowing and send a lifeline to the travel distributors who play a major role in our export tourism ecosystem.”
ATEC called on governments to “fast-track” the delivery of their stimulus packages, by providing access to low-interest loans for business, further wage subsidies and support measures for workers who are laid off.
The body added "we encourage the Federal Government to replicate processes implemented by other countries including the UK Government’s emergency initiative to ‘backstop’ more than $600 billion in bank loans to stop businesses going bust, or the example set by New Zealand which has provided access to cash grants for wage subsidies within five days of application.
“This is no time to go slow. Our industry’s future depends not just on your quick fiscal response, but on your ability to distribute the support.”
20th March 2020 - LPA concerned over Government’s inaction in helping cultural sector survive Coronavirus crisis
20th March 2020 - Stakeholders seek Government stimulus support for privately operated sports centres
20th March 2020 - Queensland Health advise public aquatic centres are ‘safe for swimming’
20th March 2020 - Australian tourism sector losing $3 billion a month as travel restrictions bite
20th March 2020 - Palace Cinemas respond to COVID-19
20th March 2020 - Arts Ministers meeting fails to deliver support package as Australia faces ‘devastating cultural recession’
19th March 2020 - Luna Park Sydney announces temporary closure
19th March 2020 - Crown Casinos enjoy ‘exemptions’ to remain open in Melbourne and Perth
19th March 2020 - Australasian Leisure Management and the Coronavirus crisis
19th March 2020 - Government issues Coronavirus guidelines for community sport, stating fitness centres and swimming pools need not close
19th March 2020 - PAC Australia highlight Coronavirus threat to ongoing viability of performing arts centres
19th March 2020 - Gyms emphasise hygiene practices but look for business support
19th March 2020 - AIS suspends public activities on Canberra campus
18th March 2020 - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison halts international travel and bans indoor gatherings of over 100
13th March 2020 - Non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people effectively banned across Australia
17th March 2020 - Coronavirus impact puts up to 50 million jobs at risk across global tourism
17th March 2020 - LPA calls for $850 million live performance support and stimulus package
13th March 2020 - Tourism Industry body welcomes Federal Government’s Coronavirus stimulus
12th March 2020 - Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces $18 billion economic stimulus package
7th March 2020 - Quality Tourism accredited business recognised at 2019 Australian Tourism Awards
6th March 2020 - Tourism leaders look for Federal rescue package amid Coronavirus fears
6th March 2020 - ATEC highlights the ongoing threat of Coronavirus to export tourism industry
2nd March 2020 - ATEC remembers tourism innovator James Kwan
21st February 2020 - Research suggests Australian tourism marketing needs to stop doing the same thing every year
Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?
As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.
The Complete Guide to Leisure Industry Products & Services.
TJS Services is a leading national facility services provider. We deliver quality cleaning, maintenance, construction and facility management services to over 1,500 sites Australia wide. Our…
read moreiDwala is the Community Sports Facility Specialist offering the highest quality designs and technical expertise to Councils, Schools and Sporting Clubs looking to create sporting…
read moreSince 1989 Elite Pool Covers have designed and manufactured an extensive range of high quality affordable manual,semi-automatic and fully-automatic pool cover systems for the harsh Australian…
read moreAbout: Momentus Technologies is a global provider of industry-leading venue and event management solutions that empower organizations to create extraordinary moments. With over 50,000 users in more…
read moreGladstone Health & Leisure (Gladstone MRM Pty Ltd Australia) is a leading supplier of leisure management and fitness software and is endorsed by leading health and fitness professionals and…
read moreCentaman has been a market leader in Enterprise Software Solutions for the leisure and recreation industry and both profit and not-for-profit attractions since 1991. It offers a wide range of software…
read moreWith its sleek good looks and easy-to-use yet powerful functionality, Envibe is the premium fitness club software for the Australasian leisure, recreation and fitness industry. We are the most…
read moreABOUT SPORTENG specialises in the Planning, Design and Construction inspection of Fields of Play for all sports. Blending engineering with the specialist knowledge gained from working closely with…
read moreGet your business noticed in our targeted directory. Viewed by 10,000 industry professionals per week!