CRAIG INGRAM MP - MEMBER FOR GIPPSLAND EAST
Issued: Wednesday, 21 February 2007
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MEDIA
RELEASE FROM CRAIG INGRAM MP - MEMBER FOR GIPPSLAND EAST Issued: Wednesday, 21 February 2007 |
The Independent Member for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, is seeking state and federal government support on behalf of tourism and hospitality businesses affected by the recent bushfires in the region.
Mr Ingram met on Tuesday with regional business and tourism groups this week to discuss the impact of the fires on all of their communities across East Gippsland and what additional support is required for the recovery stages of the fire effort.
“It has become obvious, both through this meeting and previous additional representation from individual business owners, that the fire has had a dissimilar impact on business in the area, with some suffering incredible financial hardship due to the road closures and the subsequent decline in visitor numbers over the normally busy Christmas holiday period,” Mr Ingram said.
“There is a real concern that the current support programs only address the needs of those with direct losses, most of which are insurable, whilst those businesses who have suffered verifiable financial losses have missed out.
“On behalf of the fire affected businesses throughout my electorate, I have written to the state and federal governments seeking assistance in the form of low interest loans and small grants, ensuring that these businesses have the financial capacity to survive the long-term financial impact caused by the fire activity,” Mr Ingram concluded.
