Owner feels pain of stimulus snub

FOR Puddleduck Vineyard owner Jackie Brown, the disappointment of missing out on a government stimulus grant during the coronavirus pandemic has been compounded by not knowing why she was deemed unworthy.

Ms Brown, whose Richmond business has been hit hard by the pandemic shutdown, says she doesn’t understand why her application failed.

The government made $20 million available through a Small Business Hardship Grants Scheme in early April.

The $15,000 grants were intended to help businesses “highly impacted by the COVID-19 restrictions and experiencing significant hardship”.

Ms Brown says the money would have helped her business stay afloat.

“We put in our application and we received a letter just to say it was unsuccessful. But that was all we received information about. What I’d really like to know is why we were deemed unsuccessful. I was kind of shocked, I was really counting on that.

“I’d really like to get some feedback. I’m really looking forward to getting some feedback as to why we were deemed unsuccessful for the grant.”

Premier Peter Gutwein has promised a review of the government’s coronavirus stimulus schemes.

“Unfortunately, there will be some businesses that will miss out. It’s a finite amount of money,” he said on Wednesday.

Labor leader Rebecca White said Labor had received many complaints about the scheme: “Numerous businesses have contacted Labor describing a shambolic process, which has added stress at a time when they were already facing pain and uncertainty,” she said.

“Some businesses have missed out on crucial support, without which they may not survive, despite meeting all the eligibility criteria.”