The Wedding, Hospitality and Events businesses in Victoria are requesting a definitive decision to end or extend the current MAY/JUNE 2021 'circuit breaker' lockdown by tomorrow, Tuesday the 1st of June, 2021 in order to ensure wages, food cost, perishables and more are not lost if the lockdown is extended.

The decision we are seeking will allow business owners and casual workers to make plans to better secure their financial well-being and mental health with early preparation.

Who Is Impacted

Businesses in Victoria are no strangers to lockdown and most businesses have complied with, and continue to comply, with the latest recommendations, laws and restrictions imposed due to COVID-19.

This latest lockdown, however, leaves businesses with extraordinarily little financial support, the loss of JobKeeper and JobSeeker and no assistance from federal government.

Furthermore, we are heading into 'off-season' for many wedding and events businesses who desperately need to stabilise and recoup from previous lockdowns and keep afloat for the next season.

Suppliers, venues and businesses are currently unable to make sound decisions whether to employ or roster on staff, or to order or prepare perishables for the weekend's events and risk a huge financial loss if they continue to do so, believing lockdown will end, should the 'circuit breaker' lockdown be extended, with no announced financial government support, or extraordinarily little financial government aid if any is forthcoming.

Businesses and Consumers understand the need for restrictions and lockdown during this pandemic, however, the implications of uncertainty are causing severe financial and mental distress that are further impacted from previous restrictions and lockdowns.

With this current lockdown, many suppliers are unable or unwilling to postpone dates due to availability, financial uncertainty and further restrictions than that of a week ago. 

For businesses, this means a staggering loss of income and potentially losing whatever bookings they currently have with no financial aid or insurance.

For clients, a potential loss of venue or service providers, a potential loss of monies exchanged for a set date and mental and financial distress.

For workers, a loss of income with no JobKeeper or JobSeeker and no direction to make a financially sound decision of next steps to take to ensure they can survive.

The value of the Wedding Industry is 4 billion dollars +

The average spend on a Wedding is $62,579 with 178 number on average of attendees

The following subsets work within this industry and have been significantly impacted:

50,000 Direct Wedding Businesses
Beauty Industry
Retail and Fashion Industries
Entertainment Industry
Hospitality Industry
Tourism and Travel Industries

Not to mention, casual workers with no financial aid.

Why This Petition is Valid

COVID struck this industry fast and, coupled with past restrictions and lockdowns, the current government's decision of a 'circuit breaker lockdown' and lack of information and financial aid have made it impossible for businesses and couples to make sound and logical decisions.

This industry is largely run by private businesses, micro-entrepreneurs who have had little support, information and insight on how to manage during this time - from litigation to cancellation, change of date and minimal new bookings, a once-thriving marketplace is being driven to further demise by State Governments who continue to remain vague, disinterested and offer little or no financial support to the many thousands further impacted.

The BIGGEST ISSUE

It takes on average 14 months to plan a Wedding, this is a long shelf-life market. couples have no certainty in postponing their Wedding and what the restrictions may look like in the next few months. Businesses have a minimal pipeline in future bookings and cannot assure Couples due to little insight on WHAT'S NEXT? With no time to plan, there will be NO PLANNING. A timeline is critical NOW to save this Industry and Couples from further financial, emotional and mental stress and loss.

With no definitive answer on whether this current lockdown will be extended or ended, businesses based solely in Events and/or Weddings face the difficult decision on whether to cancel events booked immediately following Friday the 4th of June or to continue with ordering, staff rostering, preparing and more.

Furthermore, the later the decision is drawn out, the slimmer the chance suppliers can deliver with demand and logistics issues set to sky rocket, potentially causing frustrated contracts, and inability to move forward with an event, disappointed clients and lost monies.

INDUSTRY ABILITIES

The industry has been complying with all COVID-Safe practices, and can provide the following;

• The guests are known to the hosts

• QR codes available for guests to check in prior to entering or attending

• Requests made prior to attendance for unwell guests to not attend

• Venues clean entire spaces between functions from napery, linen, cutlery, crockery, flooring, bathrooms and otherwise

• The menu and food service have been altered to comply with COVID safe practices

Safety measures like sanitisation stations, temperature checklist, and keeping guests details, already implemented at other venues, are also working at Weddings and Events.

The Final Request 

1. A definitive decision made by the Victorian government to extend or end the current 'circuit breaker' lockdown by tomorrow, Tuesday the 1st of June, 2021 12:30 pm AEST.

Businesses need;

1. A DEFINITIVE ANSWER as to whether lockdown will be extended or ended by today or tomorrow, Tuesday the 1st of June, 2021 12:30 pm AEST in order to make sound business and financial decisions for the following week and weekend.

2. FINANCIAL AND MENTAL SUPPORT for businesses and casual workers facing an enormous and potentially extended loss of income