The Property Council and Master Builders Australia are among the many industries to applaud the government’s extension of the JobKeeper program.
“Today’s announcement by the Prime Minister and Treasurer provides businesses and their employees with the certainty they need for the coming months as we continue to grapple with the public health and economic impact of COVID-19,” said Ken Morrison, Chief Executive of the Property Council.
“The JobKeeper program has provided critical support for the Australian economy during the pandemic, assisting almost one million businesses and 3.5 million workers.
“This includes many businesses in the property industry, which is Australia’s biggest employer, and the Property Council advocated strongly in support of its extension in line with today’s announcement.
“Forty-five per cent of the respondents to the latest ANZ/Property Council industry survey said they had accessed the program, and a majority supported the scheme continuing beyond September.
“Everyone recognises that pandemic measures such as this can’t continue forever, but this extension is certainly appropriate,” Mr Morrison said.
The extension includes the introduction of a reduced two-tiered payment rate that distinguishes between full-time and part-time work.
“The extension of JobKeeper will play a vital role in helping Australian business plan for recovery and rebuilding from the impact of COVID-19,” Mr Morrison said.
Master Builders Australia labelled the extension “the right move for the building and construction industry”, which will, in turn, help boost confidence in the economy and the community.
Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia, said: “Building and construction is the industry with the most businesses registered for JobKeeper and that reflects that 98 per cent of the industry is comprised of small businesses and with more small businesses than any other sector of the economy”.
“There’s no doubt that JobKeeper continues to be lifeline for thousands of small builders and tradies as well as many in the building supply chain.The continuing easier accessibility for sole traders to access the scheme is also important,” she said.
“HomeBuilder is proving to be one of the most effective government stimulus measures for at least a decade but many small builders and tradies still face an extremely tough 12 months at least, which is reflected in forecasts of a major contraction in demand.
“While there is no question as to the effectiveness of JobKeeper, and JobTrainer, a pipeline of work is essential to the recovery of the industry and the economy.
“As the Government recognises, the massive contraction in demand that we are experiencing is due to the restrictions on economic activity imposed to save lives and therefore more successful stimulus measures such as HomeBuilder will be required to underpin recovery.”
