State Government tourism relief ‘misses mark in Kalbarri’

A Kalbarri tourism operator has blasted the State Government’s tourism funding package, claiming most operators in the town are excluded. Kalbarri Palm Resort owner Jon Jessop said the usually thriving tourist destination was a ghost town these days because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. “Kalbarri is a ghost town right now, we were able to remain open under the Jobkeeper program but 95 per cent of our business is gone,” he said. “It hits hard. People are really struggling.” Under what has been called a Tourism Recovery Package, $10.4 million has been allocated for small businesses to access cash grants of $6500. Up to 1600 smaller operators including accommodation, attraction, tour and transport businesses are expected to be able to access those grants. A further $4 million has been allocated for operators dealing with “exceptionally difficult circumstances”, offering payments between $25,000 and $100,000. Mr Jessop said he was buoyed by the announcement of the package but was shocked to learn it applied only to members of one of the State’s eligible tourism organisations. “There’s about 50 tourism operators in Kalbarri but only a few of them are members,” he said. “The fine print of the recovery fund really seems to exclude most operators not part of a State-funded organisation. “Most of us in Kalbarri are members of the local visitor centre, they directly represent us. Why wouldn’t this membership qualify us?” “I’d call on the State Government to cast the net wider to include a real amount of tourism operators.” Australia’s Coral Coast, the region’s industry association, lists only eight tourism operators in Kalbarri as members. Member for North West Central and Nationals WA small business and tourism spokesman Vince Catania said any support would be welcomed by businesses in the region but in this case it seemed to benefit just a select few. He said it was concerning Tourism Minister Paul Papalia considered businesses not involved with the State’s eligible tourism organisations to be “not genuine tourism businesses”. “This token gesture package is disappointing because a large percentage of business in the region are members of other associations,” Mr Catania said. “The Government needs to understand the North West tourism season is vastly different to the South West. People are facing the prospect of not earning again until April 2021. “What they really need now is certainty over when restrictions are going to be eased — it’s the only way forward.” A State Government spokesperson said businesses which are not eligible for the Tourism Recovery Fund will instead be able to apply for the Tourism Business Survival Grants, for amounts of $25,000-$100,000. “The survival grants are targeted towards the WA tourism businesses facing the most exceptionally difficult circumstances, including those in places like Kalbarri and others still impacted by regional border restrictions,” the spokesperson said. “The upside for the Mid West’s tourism industry is that when we are able to lift border restrictions in the future, there will be hundreds of thousands of West Aussies looking to holiday at home. “Those who would usually be going to Bali, Europe or Melbourne will be looking to holiday locally – and we fully expect places like Kalbarri to enjoy those benefits.”