Some of Fremantle’s most renowned hospitality operators have pleaded with local MP Simone McGurk for more government help to counter the effect of State-imposed COVID regulations.
The Cappuccino Strip set and several of the port city’s pubs and bars met Ms McGurk on February 25 to talk about issues affecting local hospitality businesses under the government mandates, including anti-vaxxers trying to use fake vaccination passports, unruly behaviour and significantly slowed trade.
Benny’s Bar and Cafe owner Ivan Dzeba said the meeting was held in response to the introduction of level one restrictions on February 21 and asked Ms McGurk to lobby for the struggling hospitality industry.
“It’s clear less people are going out and I think that’s because of two reasons; one is mandates and restrictions, and the other is the general fear of being caught up in an exposure site and then having to go and get tested and isolate,” Mr Dzeba said.
“The capacity restrictions have caused a lot less people to come to our doors, especially with seated service, and there’s only so much time you can spend sitting in a chair having a drink.”
Mr Dzeba said the broad interest group, including small bar Strange Company, Little Creatures, Clancy’s Fish Pub, Gage Roads, Emily Taylor and the Fremantle Markets, raised antisocial behaviour from anti-vaxxers, fears of the 4sqm rule coming into effect once level two restrictions were announced and possible measures to support businesses who did not qualify for grant assistance.
“For us, it’s about the young staffers that are working. Imagine a young 16-year-old waitress who gets abused by people refusing to show their vaccination passports. It’s not her fault, but she’s the one who will go home in tears and not want to come back to work,” he said.
“We met Ms McGurk before the level two restrictions began and we told her how worried we were about the 4sqm rule coming in because that just wouldn’t be viable for any of us — thankfully they chose to keep it to a 2sqm rule instead.
“The local businesses are hoping the mandates will only go for a short period of time. The Premier said four weeks, but we are all hoping it will be less than that and we can go back to phasing them out.”
Ms McGurk acknowledged the mandates were tough for hospitality businesses and understood how central the industry was to Fremantle.
She told PerthNow she was disappointed to hear first-hand examples of the anti-vaxx movement, such as a targeted social media campaign to attack businesses through poor online reviews.
“This is abhorrent behaviour that has the potential to have a long term impact on businesses that are simply doing the right thing and helping to keep their customers safe,” she said.
“The hospitality industry is the heart and soul of Freo and we know that keeping customers and the workforce healthy is the best way to keep business and the economy strong.
“With the increase in cases in WA, the State Government has had to introduce public health measures to help reduce the spread. This is tough on hospitality businesses and it is something we would rather not do – but we hope the current measures are only required until the end of this month, when the Level 2 restrictions will be reviewed.”
Fremantle Chamber of Commerce chief executive Danicia Quinlan said increasing case numbers and the hesitancy to go out during the pandemic were clearly having a huge financial and personal impact on local venues.
“Local businesses recognise they have to manage the health and safety of our community, but there is a feeling that they are wearing the brunt of a lot of the negative aspects of having to manage that and were looking to discuss with the Minister how that impact could be mitigated,” Ms Quinlan said.
“Those issues need to be raised and discussed and I think the leaders of these businesses were really practical in coming forward to say that there are some really big impacts that are actually affecting the long-term viability of our organisations.
“Unless they’re addressed, we are going to come out here in two or three months and we potentially might not have some of these businesses operating that we really need when tourists start coming back.”
Businesses affected by the mandates will this week be able to apply for two government financial support packages made available in recent weeks.
Applications for the Small Business Rental Relief Package will open on March 10, while applications for the Small Business Hardship Grant Program will open on March 17.
This is in addition to the $67 million Level 1 COVID-19 Business Assistance Package, $77 million Safe Transition Industry Support Package and the $185 million Reconnect WA package already available.
Fremantle hospitality owners plead with local MP Simone McGurk for COVID mandate help - PerthNow
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