Coronavirus Crisis: Premier Mark McGowan announces $1b economic and health package

Mark McGowan has announced a $1 billion economic and health package for WA.

No household will have its water or electricity turned off if they are unable to pay the utility bills because of difficulties created by COVID-19.

The energy assistance payment for new applicants will be extended to September 30 which would have a $25 million impact on the budget.

“When it comes to small and medium-sized businesses, electricity bills for around 95,000 businesses will be reduced,” the Premier said.

Payroll tax would be waived for several months this year for 10,000 eligible small and medium-sized businesses.

About $100 million worth of government licence fees for businesses will also be waived.

Some businesses would also be able to access $2500 credit for electricity bills if they use less than 50MW hours per year.

Treasurer Ben Wyatt said efforts around planning what the WA recovery looks like was already under way.

Mr Wyatt said he expected to be able to announce a recovery package late in the year.

“The budget is now on October 8 … so we will be working very much to that,” he said.

“We are trying to get money out the door as quickly as we can … but I’m still confident with a strong surplus this year.”

Mr Wyatt said a surplus would be able to ballast and support recovery and response.

Opposition leader Liza Harvey criticised the McGowan Government for bringing in measures which mostly ignored a cohort of people who had effectively lost their job.

“(For) the large number of people in hospitality, tourism and other sectors looking to be part of the JobKeeper arrangement of having their income reduced to $1500 a fortnight, there is no relief in this package for the utilities charges for those people,” she said.

“This is a large group in the WA community who will find themselves unable to pay utilities bills, the only relief for them under this package is they won’t have their utilities disconnected and they won’t be paid interest.”

A McGowan Government spokesman said the point of JobKeeper was to keep people in jobs and its assistance targets were for people who had lost their employment due to COVID-19.

Nationals WA small business spokesman Vince Catania said the package missed the mark for businesses in regional WA where water an power bills should be scrapped.

“Businesses can’t pay them now let alone in six months time,” he said.

“Power costs are somewhere in order of $600 minimum per month in Regional WA.

“We need our small businesses to survive to get to the other side and they don’t need to rack up more debt by differing water and power costs.”

Key measures:

Households

· Anyone who has become unemployed because of COVID-19 will become eligible for a concession card as part of the energy assistance payment in a $25 million initiative

· No households will have their power or water switched off if they are experiencing financial hardship and interest will be charged on deferred bill payments

· Keystart customers will be able to defer payments for up to six months

Small and medium business

· A reduction of electricity bills for 95,000 small businesses with a one-off $2500 credit for Synergy and Horizon Power users

· Payroll tax will be waived between March 1 to June 30 this year where the business has annual wages of less than $7.5 million

Community groups

· There will be a reduction in electricity bills for 2800 charities and a one-off $2500 credit available for groups on certain tariffs with Synergy and Horizon Power

Random police checks at WA’s closed borders

WA Police will conduct random check points and mobile patrols on regional roads to make sure no one is breaking new restrictions preventing intrastate movement from midnight.

Premier Mark McGowan said residents should make sure they have a letter from their employer if they were travelling for reasons which were exempt from the bans.

“Effective from 11.59pm, new regional boundaries will come into effect,” the Premier said.

“I know some people will be frustrated, it won’t be perfect, because it is something that has never happened in WA.

“Those who flout the rules will risk a fine.

“The construction and freight industries will continue to operate.”

West Australians might still be able to enter the state if the State Government is able to implement its proposed hard border this weekend.

Mr McGowan indicated returning West Australians would have to undergo 14 days of isolation.

“Obviously, we want West Australians to come home now if they want to come now,” he said.

“If they want to come after the hard border comes up there will be rules around that.

“I’ve told the national cabinet, the infected people from the east are not to come to WA and that basically means everyone.

“The drafting (of the hard border) is currently going on. I want to see it in place I hope by the weekend.”

MV Artania told to ‘go home’

The MV Artania has been given a directive to leave Australian waters by Border Force according to Mark McGowan.

The Premier said there was no reason why the boat should remain in WA.

The Artania has been scheduled to leave Fremantle Port at midday tomorrow.

The Premier said he was concerned about whether more crew from the Artania would present with coronavirus before the ship left.

“That’s why I want the ship to leave,” he said. “But it’s a Federal responsibility.”

No sympathy for quarantine whingers

Mr McGowan waved off complaints about the food being given to Australians forced into self-isolation in Perth hotels.

“We’re trying to ensure the virus doesn’t spread, and people are being put up in hotels at this point at the taxpayer’s expense, I think they should just suck it up,” he said.

Mr McGowan said a number of international flights were expected to arrive in Perth Airport in the coming days as West Australians tried to get home.

“These people will be transported to hotels and forced to remain in their rooms for 14 days of quarantine,” he said.

“It’s about saving their lives and the lives of their friends and families.”