The Business Council's natural disaster relief agency BizRebuild will work with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ) to deliver urgently needed assistance to flood ravaged businesses across the state.
A summit of business owners shared their stories and insights with Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott, BizRebuild Chair Sir Peter Cosgrove and CCIQ Policy and Advocacy General Manager Amanda Rohan in Brisbane today.
Sir Peter told the virtual community meeting: "Our job is to get money and action on the ground as fast as possible. We are not going to be bogged down by bureaucracy. We are not going to ask you to fill out complicated forms.
"We've heard a very dire impression of the economic damage but we've also heard stories of resilience.''
Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott said: "We want to get money into hands as soon as possible and we will be working with CCIQ to identify small businesses in need of assistance, keep them open so they can keep communities alive."
CCIQ Policy and Advocacy General Manager Amanda Rohan said for many businesses in the natural disaster zone, the impacts were compounded against the emotional and financial impacts of COVID.
"Many Queensland businesses already struggling through the impacts of COVID are now directly impacted from extreme weather events across the state which has a compounding impact on their operations and staff."
"This is a really challenging time for our state's businesses and now is the time for us all to be supporting them to get back to business," Ms Rohan said
Immediate assistance from BizRebuild will include vouchers for local firms and services to let businesses retool and restart quickly:
- $500 Business Advisory Voucher: to connect business owners with local legal, accounting and business advisory services to help cover costs in drawing up business recovery plans.
- $2000 Retooling Voucher: for the purchase of essential equipment destroyed or damaged during an event which assists the business in reopening or resuming operating.
"What is paramount now is the speed of recovery," Ms Rohan said.
BizRebuild will continue to work with local chambers to provide direct assistance to get small businesses back on their feet.
BizRebuild is kindly supported by BCA members however any individual or business can make a tax deductable donation to our community rebuilding efforts by visiting: www.BizRebuild.com.au or contacting the BizRebuild team on 1800 497 121.
