Introduced on Feb 16, 2021. The Bill sets up a new system of covid support payments for businesses hit by covid lockdowns of level 2 or over. As announced in Dec this includes includes a grant at a core per business rate of $1500 plus $400 per employee up to a total of 50 FTEs ($21,500) for firms experiencing a 30 percent drop in revenue. This is not tied to the payment of wages and firms with more than 50 FTEs can apply up to the maximum and is nationwide not tied to a region. However, it is capped at the amount of revenue lost. One change made since the Dec announcement is eligibility is over a 7 day period not 14. This will be calculated by comparing a seven-day period at alert level 2 or higher with the typical weekly revenue in the six weeks before the move from alert level 1. The Bill passed through all stages under Urgency and supported by all parties.
Taxation (COVID-19 Resurgence Support Payments and Other Matters) Bill