Mackay Regional Council Request Clarity

Mackay Region Chamber of Commerce fully supports this week's motion by Mackay Regional Council, which was carried unanimously, that calls on the Premier to urgently provide clarity on any Public Health Order that may impact local government and businesses after 17 December 2021.

Chamber supports this motion as it aligns with consistent feedback from our members that there is an extreme lack of clarity around these newly announced Public Health measures and their level of uncertainty is growing as the December 17 deadline approaches.

We congratulate and support Council on this measure. The Full Mayoral Minute is below:

Whilst we respect there is a personal choice, Mackay Regional Council has always been pro-vaccination and will continue to support the Mackay Hospital and Health Service in encouraging residents to get vaccinated in order to protect themselves and their families.

Council is however very concerned about the lack of clarity and detail from the State Government regarding how new COVID measures and restrictions will be enforced from December 17.

It has now been more than two weeks since the Premier announced plans for post-December 17.

There is still no Public Health Order providing the detail.

The lack of information is causing unrest in our community.

An absence of clarity is also impacting council plans around the provision of council facilities, services, operations and events.

Council also has sympathy for businesses, particularly small businesses in our region, and the effects the threat of such restrictions is having on them.

We understand their concerns are that after December 17 they will be required to enforce the Government restrictions and that they will be impacted by a lack of staff and customers.

THAT council requests that the Premier urgently provides information and clarity on any Public Health Order regarding COVID measures and requirements for Local Government and business post-December 17, 2021.

FURTHER THAT any directive takes into account the operational impact on Local Government and businesses.

Scott Jamieson and Vicki Smith from the Mackay Region Chamber of Commerce