Riverina Study of COVID-19 Virus Shows Impact
In a broad study undertaken this week by Western Riverina Arts Inc. sampling 65 community events over 22 organisations in the Western Riverina area, the total economic impact across the communities of Narrandera, Griffith, Leeton and the Murrumbidgee since Saturday 14th March has been at least $1.6 Million and growing. Organisations contacted in the study were Arts Centres, Galleries, Museums, Event promoters, Aboriginal Land Councils, Aboriginal Medical Centres, Shire Councils, Arts and Community workers, Clubs and Churches.
Says Aanya Whitehead, Executive Director of Western Riverina Arts: “The study shows in simple terms that there has been a measurable loss of over one quarter of a million dollars every day since sweeping bans on crowd gatherings began on Saturday 14th March, 2020.”
The most seriously impacted are the Indigenous organisations across the whole region that provide a broad range of community and medical services both in the larger regional centres through to extremely remote communities. These services include weekly outreach programs like health checks. All promoted programs have been cancelled except for flue vaccinations. Yet even with secure infrastructure and existing funding, there is no precedent to this situation. Agencies relayed that their staff were facing choices of whether or not they personally pay as a result of the ban out of their leave entitlements that may leave them with little or no security as the crisis progresses. A spokesperson for the Aboriginal Medical Service in Griffith said that: “There are enormous impacts on the communities that we service with us not being there but we can’t risk them being exposed as they are the most vulnerable. This situation has had a large impact on our staff, many of whom have young families that will see their income affected so we are trying to work out plans and support our staff in every way possible. On a broader level we are having to look at a protocol that can be easily modified for the future in the case of national emergencies such as this, there needs to be Government policy on that. As an agency we are too large for local Government and too small for large Government to really look at us. We are trying to handle things within our own infrastructure, it is not easy.”
The study shows that everyone is affected by the COVID-19 ban, not just the arts and community workers. Small businesses are losing substantial cashflow from the cancellation of festivals, public events, Council run programs, sports classes and community initiatives both at a micro and macro level.
However, there was a universal co-operation and goodwill from all who contributed to the study, acknowledging that Australia needs to get through this crisis with action taken by everyone. Says Karen Davy, Chief Executive Officer of the Leeton and District Aboriginal Land Council: ”This is a time for us to take care of each as a whole nation. We live in a world of such frenzy and immediacy that we can barely catch our breath. We can use this time to slow down, look after our families and remember what is important.”
Issued by Western Riverina Arts Thursday 19th March 2020
