BUSINESSES around the region have registered interest in the Federal Government’s $160b JobKeeper initiative in an effort to retain staff members during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patrick of Coonawarra is just one business to sign up for the coronavirus scheme, with winemaker and business owner Luke Tocaciu saying the process was simple, despite the lack of information on how the process works.
“There is a bit of uncertainty around how it all works,” he said.
“Some of the parameters of how it is administrated and things like that are a bit unclear at the moment, but we are finding out more as we go along.”
Mr Tocaciu said the JobKeeper initiative, which is expected to help around six million employers, would provide businesses with certainty during the challenging period without needing to let staff go.
“When things do go back to normal we will need those staff members,” Mr Tocaciu said.
“Even within our sales representatives who are usually on the road their numbers have dropped because of the travel bans which will be a huge start up again.
“We find our staff want to be here, they want to work but we have had no choice but to cut back their hours because the work just is not here for them at
the moment.”
The wage subsidy is open to eligible businesses which have received a significant financial hit caused by the coronavirus.
The payment will be paid to employers for up to six months for each eligible employee that was on their books on March 1, 2020 and is retained or continues to be engaged by that employer.
The payment will provide the equivalent of around 70pc of the national median wage and will equate to a full replacement wage for workers in the accommodation, hospitality and retail sectors.
Member for Barker Tony Pasin said the scheme aimed to protect the lives and livelihoods of Australians.
“That is why we have taken unprecedented steps to protect Australians from the COVID-19 virus and with this announcement our government has dug deep to protect Australian livelihoods and preserve the economy we all depend on,” he said.
Meanwhile, the State Government’s closure of cellar doors has significantly affected wineries, with Mr Tocaciu saying at least five casual staff have had their hours reduced as a result.
However, he said if eligible for the JobKeeper payment, staff members would be able to be employed in other roles.
Mr Tocaciu said online sales had been strong, but was preparing for a financial hit over the Easter break due to travel bans and non-essential travel being discouraged.
“The Easter period is usually our busiest time of the year,” he said.
“Although bottle shops are still open and we are still selling produce to those outlets, it is the cafes and small places that make capital and are a big volume where we will see a hit.”
Mr Tocaciu said vintage was under way, but there had been changes to adhere to current guidelines.
“We only have one driver in the tractor as we usually swap out, but we cannot do that anymore,” he said.
“We also have hand sanitiser in the tractors and there is now no contact with the drivers, they have all the paperwork in the tractors.”
