We are one month closer to Australia reopening. The Prime Minister was right when he said: if not at 70%, then when? If not at 80% then when?
The reality is, we have to live with and manage the virus. That's why the National Plan to reopen Australia is so important - it's a sensible roadmap for getting back to normal in a safe and careful way.
With vaccination rates soaring, the Australian people deserve to be able to plan for the future with some certainty.
I visited Kirra and Coolangatta on the first weekend of the school holidays and found business owners who were screaming out for certainty. Dane and Veri from Coolangatta Board Store want to know if they should order stock ahead of Christmas.
Donna from Kirra Surf Apartments told me how they're relying on Queensland holiday makers and continuing to push back the reservations of those from NSW and Victoria. While, around the corner at Cafe All Sorts, they lost around half of their customer base when the border barricades went up.
I continue to advocate strongly on behalf of these businesses for targeted support, and welcome the Border Business Zone Hardship Grants - as part of the $600 million COVID-19 Business Support Grants program. This is targeted at businesses in Coolangatta, Tugun, Currumbin and Currumbin Waters.
Businesses can also apply for assistance of up to $100,000 through the Tourism and Hospitality Sector Hardship Program. Plus, our famous attractions will be supported through Iconic Tourism Grants of up to $4 million - to ensure they're able to retain staff and scale up when our borders reopen and tourists return.
One of my first stops out of quarantine on return from Canberra this month was the Mudgeeraba Show. It was great to see locals out and about enjoying the showcase of what our region has to offer.
I was also thrilled to be back at the Robina offices of RightCrowd - a local software company which has partnered with Griffith University to cultivate cyber security professionals. The Morrison Government has given their Gold Coast Cyber Studio a $1 million funding injection to deliver internships and scholarships
Projects such as this are vital for growing Australia's cyber skills - to keep Australians secure online.
One of the impacts of lockdowns and restrictions has been that people have spent significantly more time online - potentially being exposed to extremist material. As we marked the 20th Anniversary of the September 11 attacks, I addressed the Australian Strategic Policy Institue, outlining how the Morrison Government is taking the threat seriously and are preparing now for terrorism in the post-COVID environment.
We are also working hard to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation - through awareness campaigns such as Stop the Stigma and the Trace an Object initiative. I recently visited Bruce, Denise and the team at The Daniel Morcombe Foundation to discuss how we can maintain vigilance and keep our young people safe.
Finally, 29th September was National Police Remembrance Day. Yesterday, ten names were added to the National Police Memorial wall - three of whom lost their lives in the past 12 months. I would like to pay tribute to them, and all who put their lives at risk every day, responding to violent incidents and keeping our community safe.
Take care,
