Jobkeeper scheme proves lifeline for netball

CAIRNS Netball Association has dodged the bullet of having to stand down staff due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Many other FNQ sporting associations have already or are in the process of standing down their staff over the next few months.

Local netball staff were expecting to be stood down earlier this week but following a board meeting on Monday evening, the handful of workers will stay on.

Cairns Netball operations manager Tanya Dearns says it is a positive for the code in FNQ over the next few months that their staff can continue to engage the community in netball.

“The writing was going to be on the wall for some staff stand-downs – that was what we had been working through – and some reduced hours for me,” Dearns said.

“But, with … the government announcing the jobkeeper payment, it enabled us to keep our employees on track and working.

“It has given us some breathing space and a little support. We still need to reduce a few of our expenses … it means we can keep our employees working and engaged in the sport.”

Dearns, a former NZ Silver Ferns netballer, will take a salary cut in the short term and work fewer hours to help CNA reduce costs.

The netball season has been pushed back indefinitely, with staff working on a draft fixture for later in the year.

“We are working hard for our season to start in July, hopefully being the third week of that month,” she said.

“By doing that, that would give us a full 15-week season and finals, three weeks of those leading into December. “We need to make sure that does not clash with other codes. It is still a big work in progress for us.” Dearns says there is a chance they will lose players to other sports if they play deep into 2020.