Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I recently met with a number of local entertainment business owners about their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and how the Morrison government can best continue to support their recovery. I met with business owners like Liz, who works tirelessly to organise the Central Coast Christmas Fair, which I attend every year and is absolutely incredible. Steve and Isaac oversee a number of successful entertainment venues across the coast, including Drifter's Wharf at Gosford. Lou is a passionate artist manager. I also met Chris from Six String Brewing, Ruth and Pat from RUN Sound, and Brad Cardis from Fixx Events.

These business owners told me the many ways they have been hit hard by the recent bushfires, floods and the impact of the pandemic, creating uncertainty and meaning events across our region have had to be cancelled or postponed repeatedly. To make things worse, many of these businesses have been unable to access funding and grant programs that could otherwise help them because of the varying classifications of the Central Coast across many government departments and agencies at a state and federal level. Layers of government bureaucracy, red tape and the lack of consistent classification across the Central Coast have prevented these businesses from being able to access all of the support they need. A quick survey of four different grant programs across both state and federal governments showed the Central Coast was classified as regional metro and a non-urban centre at the same time. I am fighting to fix this and give the Central Coast a single consistent definition.