Tasmanian Government waives fees

Summary of relevant measures 

• $427,000 for licence and rental fees relief for shellfish farming; and
• $770,000 for ShellMAP Program Fee Relief.

• $2.6 million towards air freight services for time sensitive freight, including seafood, as well as providing freight and access to Bass Strait Islands.
• Water and electricity bills will be waived for the first quarterly bill received after 1 April this year for small business customers on Tariff 22, 94, 88 or 75, including those small businesses on market contracts that could access those tariffs.
• Electricity prices will be capped, and water prices will be frozen next financial year.
• Waiving the roads component of motor tax and vehicle registration where that business has been significantly impacted by measures taken to manage COVID-19.
• Waiving land tax for 2020- 21 for commercial property owners financially impacted by COVID-19, where the land tax is paid by the business owner.
• The Government will extend the previously announced Payroll tax waivers for the hospitality, tourism and seafood sectors and for Tasmanian businesses with payrolls less than $5 million which have been impacted by coronavirus to ensure that these businesses will pay no payroll taxes for the entire 2019-20 year. This measure will be delivered through a combination of payroll tax refunds and waivers.
• Businesses that have immediate job needs and opportunities available, will be able to access a job-ready pool, including to match people to our immediate priority skills needs, such as in health and food retail industries.
• Increase the Small Business Interest Free Loan Scheme from $20 million to $50 million, which is available for businesses with turnovers of less than $10 million;
• Provide a new $40 million to the Small Business Grants Program with $20 million set aside for emergency grant support and $20 million for larger grants payments;
• Provide a Digital Ready for Business Program will be boosted with $150,000 to assist businesses who want to take their business online;
•  Provide business continuity advice with $750,000 in funding made available for businesses to seek cashflow and continuity advice. This includes a $50,000 grant to the Small Business Council of Tasmania;
• Provide $250,000 for business continuity advice in the tourism, retail, hospitality, arts, entertainment and health sectors suffering financial hardship;
• A further $200,000 will be provided to Rural Business Tasmania for the extension of its Rural Financial Counselling service; and
• Provide $100,000 to support our local Chamber of Commerce’s as they themselves assist businesses manage COVID-19.