Horsham businesses are hoping that the extension of JobKeeper payments for six months will help keep them afloat as the second wave of COVID-19 continues to impact Wimmera tourism.
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The government on Tuesday announced that it would slash the JobKeeper wage subsidy, with about 2.1 million workers expected to be thrown off the scheme at the end of September and another 400,000 from January.
People that remain on JobKeeper would lose at least $150 a week - more for part-timers - after the government announced a two-tier payment from October.
At the same time, the government will cut the JobSeeker unemployment benefit by $150 a week and require people on the benefit to apply for four jobs a month and meet other tests to get the money.
Horsham's Bull and Mouth Hotel owner Simon Mitchell said he was glad the new payment system for JobKeeper would closely reflect employees' previous income.
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"A lot of people are getting more money than they were getting previously, it will be more fair and equitable," Mr Mitchell said. "I am happy JobKeeper is being extended. My chefs and bar staff are all on JobKeeper and it has helped our business heaps, we probably wouldn't be open without it."
Cheeky Fox owner Mick Harris echoed the importance of JobKeeper to keep his business up and running.
"If it wasn't for JobKeeper, we would be closed. No doubt about it," he said. "So we are very, very thankful for the government support."
Mr Harris said he was not fully across the details of the change to JobKeeper and did not wish to comment.
The Horsham cafe, located on the corner of Firebrace and McLachlan street, has been open to socially-distanced customers since government restrictions eased.
Mr Harris said meeting strict guidelines required having more staff on.
"We basically have one person cleaning the whole time," he said.
"People come in and out, and (our staff) are on it to clean where they have been, whether that is inside or outside. It's all about doing the little things right."
Critical for Grampians tourism
In the lead up to the announcement, Grampians Tourism chief executive Marc Sleeman said JobKeeper was critical for the tourism industry's survival in the region.
"It has provided businesses with the ability to rebound when borders were open, and extending that will provide some welcome support for accommodation providers," he said.
"Such outbreaks will continue to be a part of life until there is a vaccine, we need to make sure we use this experience happening now as a test case for managing future disruptions. We need a process that can be repeatable: This stop start scenario is crippling our industry, and our operators really need a sense of hope to get through this."
The latest census found 43 per cent of Halls Gap residents worked in accommodation or hospitality, while accommodation was also the highest employer in Pomonal.
Mr Sleeman said the Rental Mandatory Code of Conduct, which mandates landlords reduce their clients' rent relative to their decline in revenue, was also having an impact in the Grampians.
He said Grampians Tourism was also advocating for mortgage payment deferrals to continue.
Mr Sleeman said in addition to the wage subsidy extension, governments could support the tourism industry by investing in infrastructure projects in the national park. These include Mackenzie Falls Day Visitor site revitalisation, Grampians Peaks Trail - 3 Trail Heads (Mount Zero, Halls Gap and Pomonal) and Halls Gap - Heath Street Bridge upgrades.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison, announcing the changes, said that "JobSeeker and JobKeeper are not do-nothing payments"
"JobSeeker and JobKeeper are payments that support people's incomes but also do not and are not designed to prevent them from going out and seeking work to improve their circumstances," he said.
Mr Morrison announced that the JobKeeper wage subsidy would be cut in October and again in January.
From October, the payment for people working 20 or more hours a week (in January 2020) will be cut from $750 a week to $600 a week. For people working fewer than 20 hours, the payment will be cut to $375 a week ($750 a fortnight).
The 20 hours' work applies to January 2020, before the virus hit, in a measure likely to complicate the system.
From January, the payment is set to drop again, to $500 a week ($1000 a fortnight) for people working more than 20 hours, and to $325 ($650 a fortnight) for people working less.
Businesses will also have to show a reduced turnover each quarter to keep getting the JobKeeper wage subsidy from October. They will have to show that turnover has stayed at least 30 per cent down (50 per cent for big businesses) in the three months to June, and the three months to September.
