A WIMMERA sole trader has shared his angst as the far-reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic leave his business virtually untenable.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Ararat's Jamie and Kim's Mobile Zoo owner Jamie Lind has described coronavirus's effect on sole traders as catastrophic.
The travelling zoo's last event was at the Colac rodeo at the start of March.
Since then, business has dried up and Mr Lind has joined the waiting list for Centrelink support.
He said he had waited weeks for Job Seeker payments to start.
Read more:
After Centrelink was having system issues in person, Mr Lind applied online. He said it took two weeks for someone to call him back, and then another two or three weeks for his application to clear.
"Within six weeks all I've received is $356 from the government," he said.
Mr Lind said he was lucky to be ahead on his mortgage and to have had savings.
But he is concerned for those who might not be as fortunate.
"I'm really worried for sole traders," he said.
"I was disgusted in the Centrelink system and how long it took.
"March 8 was our last job. It was overnight you got told you can't do anything. All those sole traders are going to go under."
Mr Lind said there might be no clients but the costs required to manage his zoo of about 100 animals remained.
He estimated it cost about $220 for food each week. Electricity bills to power the reptile enclosures cost about $3000 to $3500 a quarter.
"I did have some savings, but that's gone," Mr Lind said.
The federal government announced a potential lifeline on Tuesday, with a $94.6 million package for zoos and aquariums to support them through the COVID-19 crisis.
The funding will help exhibiting zoos and aquariums, including Halls Gap Zoo, with fixed operational costs associated with the caring of their animals. It also aims to help them remain viable into the future.
But Mr Lind said as far as he understood, he would not receive the funding.
Zoos have wildlife display licences, while mobile zoos such as Mr Lind's use a wildlife demonstrator licence.
"It's still the same process - just that we're travelling," Mr Lind said. "We're all in the same boat, big or small."
He said he had contacted Member for Wannon Dan Tehan about the discrepancy and hoped for support.
"There are (hundreds of) demonstrators in Victoria," he said. "The same department issues the licence for zoos and for wildlife demonstrators - it's the same system.
"It's not like we can just get rid of the animals."
Mr Lind said he worked with critically endangered species, which required special permits.
He said his wildlife demonstrator licence was up for renewal in June.
"Why should we have to pay for a licence fee we can't use?" he said.
Other news:
Mr Lind said lessons he had learnt from his parents - to work hard to succeed - were now seeming unfounded.
"It's catastrophic. It's so heart-wrenching," he said.
Mr Lind's fears go beyond the current pandemic.
"If I do go back to work, who's going to have any money (to hire us)?" he said.
"I fear that this could be the end of the mobile zoo side of things. I've worked nine years, seven days a week, for nothing - that's what it feels like."
Despite the darkness, Mr Lind has found a way to continue contributing to his community.
He and nephew Hayden Quaife, 17, have taken on the challenge of clearing dumped rubbish at a reserve near Noah's Ark Road in Ararat.
"While our business can't operate, we can't get paid by the government for nothing," he said.
He and Hayden have now removed two tandem trailer loads of rubbish from the area. Among the rubbish was a mattress, needles, and letters, which the pair took to the police.
Mr Lind said he had contacted Ararat Rural City Council, Parks Victoria and Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning about the clean-up.
The council provided free tip fees to help the duo with their endeavour.
Mr Lind said while it could take months to clear all the rubbish, the effort had made a difference.
"I come down to that area and it looks so clean and smells so beautiful," he said.
He encouraged people to consider taking a bag and picking up rubbish if they were exercising in the area.
"We need to keep these positive attitudes," he said.
Did you know you can receive news updates straight to your inbox? To make sure you're up-to-date with news from across the region, sign up below.