Truckies call for help after the fires

The disaster recovery allowance, concessional loans, and extension of the instant asset write off have been highlighted in a bushfire recovery plan developed and put forward to the Federal Government by the ATA General Council. The plan set out the immediate, medium, and long-term assistance needed by Australian transport businesses affected by bushfire crisis.

“The impact of the recent fires has had on trucking businesses and their employees is unprecedented. Some have lost their homes, workplaces or equipment. Others have been dealing with prolonged time away from their families, suffering financial loss and personal hardship as a result of road closures and lengthy delays,” ATA Chair Geoff Crouch said.

The Australian Government has announced grant funding, concessional loans, a dedicated contact point to access support, local economic development plans and tax relief for businesses who have suffered direct fire damage or have been economically impacted from bushfires that have swept the country.

“Trucking is an industry of small businesses, accounting for 98 per cent of all trucking operators in Australia.

“The establishment of the Small Business Bushfire Financial Support Line will give small businesses the information

WATM • March 2020 they need to understand what support and assistance is available to them," he said. Here in Western Australia, transport businesses impacted by WA's Goldfields bushfires called on the Federal Government to include them in any assistance packages made available to businesses impacted by the devastating east coast fires.

Several Goldfields fires have been raging since before Christmas, tearing through more than 600,000 hectares of bush and shutting down the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway and Eyre Highway - WA's major arterial connection to the east coast. The closures left trucks and cars stranded on either end of the highway at the Caiguna Roadhouse in the east, and prompted the Western Roads Federation to warn eastern states trucking companies to not send any trucks to Western Australia. In a statement, Western Roads Federation estimated 300 truckies had been directly impacted over the period carrying everything from livestock, large mining equipment, medicines, general freight, cars and fresh produce.

WRF said that figure was conservative, with many operators having to cancel scheduled jobs and some transport operators lost millions as they paid wages and ran expensive transport refrigeration equipment in order to protect customer’s produce and; in many instances, those costs were not recoverable from clients.

Federal Natural Disaster and Emergency Management Minister David Littleproud announced small businesses impacted by the eastern states fires would be eligible for 12 weeks of income support as well as interest-free loans with other packages to be announced.

WRF Chairman, Craig Smith-Gander called on the Federal Minister to consider WA transport companies for assistance as well as eastern states businesses. “Our transport companies are businesses too and must be included in any business assistance package," he said. Mr Littleproud did not rule out the eligibility of WA businesses but said the Commonwealth needed the WA government to put in a formal request before it could deliver financial assistance in WA.

“All state requests for federal financial assistance and Australian Defence Force support this season have been quickly approved, some in a matter of minutes," he said.

“The National Bushfire Recovery Agency will be considering a range of support measures for affected business."

A WA government spokesman said it would make enquiries with the Federal Government about the new funding assistance for small business owners and how it could be applicable to Western Australia.