Senate debates

Thursday, 14 May 2020

Questions without Notice

COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund

2:59 pm

Photo of Michaelia CashMichaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McKenzie for her question and acknowledge her passion for, in particular, rural and regional Australia. Senator McKenzie, as you well know, regional Australians are incredibly resilient. Whether it's the drought, whether it's the bushfires, whether it's the floods which actually followed the bushfires, and obviously now with the impact of COVID-19, regional Australians come through all of these challenges. Why? Because of their resilience and because of their fighting spirit.

The Liberal-National government is proud to support rural and regional Australia. It's in our DNA, as Senator McKenzie well knows. We have recently established the $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund to support regions, communities and industry sectors that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Through the fund, the Commonwealth is providing timely support when and where it is most critically needed. Over $600 million has already been committed, supporting industries including aviation, agriculture, fisheries, tourism and the arts.

These measures include: support for regional aviation under our $100 million Regional Airlines Funding Assistance Program and the $198 million Regional Airline Network Support Program; relief for federally managed fisheries through the waiving of nearly $10 million in levies; air freight support for the agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries to help businesses during this time export produce into key overseas markets when return flights bring back vital medical supplies, medicines and equipment; and funding for vulnerable areas of the arts sector, including help for regional artists and organisations. The Liberal-National government is proud to support regional and rural Australia.

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