- The Australian Government will drop its emergency funding for businesses once COVID-19 full vaccination rates hit 80 per cent
- The government has made deals with Victoria and the ACT for additional, but final, support payments for businesses
- It is expected a similar plan will be made with New South Wales soon
- Queensland and Western Australia, which are currently not receiving any federal income support, have the lowest vaccination rates in the country
The Australian Government will cut its emergency funding for people who lost work during COVID-19 shutdowns as vaccination rates increase across the country.
The government has made deals with Victoria and the ACT for additional, but final, support payments for businesses, with the money coming to an end when the states reach the 80 per cent full vaccination target.
It is expected a similar plan will be made with New South Wales soon.
Australia’s two biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, and capital Canberra have been in lockdown for several weeks as the states deal with the Delta variant.
This move will put pressure on state and territory leaders to keep their economies open.
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told Seven News that “(this) emergency payment needs to come to an end”.
“If you look around the world … people are starting to get about their normal lives, learning to live with the virus in a COVID-safe way.”
Queensland and Western Australia, which are currently not receiving any federal income support, have the lowest vaccination rates in the country. Both states are not expected to reach 80 per cent full vaccination rates until mid-December.
The Federal Government has spent more than $9 billion since June to support two million people and wants internal borders reopened when the 80 per cent full vaccination threshold is reached nationally, which is expected in November.