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Business Support and Advice

Support, Recovery and Reset Plan Contacts Take Stock What's new? Business and Employee Resources

Southern Lakes Business Response Group

In response to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, a Southern Lakes ‘Business Response & Recovery team has been formed by Southern Lakes business agencies - QLDC Economic Development, Ignite Wanaka Chamber, Queenstown Chamber of Commerce, Destination Queenstown and Lake Wanaka Tourism.

We understand that businesses and employees within our local businesses are concerned about the future of our economy and we know it’s a difficult time for us all.  We are here to help by providing a co-ordinated local response and support network for the Southern Lakes business community following the impact of COVID-19 which has been identified as a health emergency locally, nationally and internationally.  Our role is to:

  1. Gather intel and provide consistent and accurate information via organisation’s and other channels.

  2. Ensure businesses have the resources and support they need now, when they need it and know where to go for it.

  3. Once appropriate move into a co-ordinated recovery phase to ensure businesses can return to their new normal as soon as possible.

We have created one on-line platform (a source of truth) where information can be shared and updated now and in the future.  Further information is available here.

Tourism Communities: Support, Recovery and Reset plan – Queenstown Lakes

The Tourism Communities: Support, Recovery and Reset Plan supports targets five communities acutely affected by COVID-19, including Queenstown Lakes.

The Government has made three different grants available to tourism businesses:

  1. Business Advisory Support (up to $5,000 per business operation) to enable businesses to receive expert advice and support, such as on changing target markets, or scaling their business.

  2. Grants for businesses to implement business advice (up to $5,000 per business operation).

  3. Tourism Kick-start Grants between $10,000 and $50,000 per eligible business operation (excluding GST). This grant is to help business prepare for the return of international visitors.

Applications for the Business Advisory Support and Advice Implementation Grant are open now. Applications for the Tourism Kick-start Fund will be accepted from Friday 1 April 2022.

Information on eligibility, and how to apply can be found here.

Contacts

We are here to help, if you require any further information or support please get in touch with any of the contacts below. 

Destination Queenstown
Paul Abbot - CEO
paul@queenstownNZ.nz 

Queenstown Chamber
Ruth Stokes – CEO
ceo@queenstownchamber.org.nz 

Lake Wanaka Tourism
Tim Barke – GM
gm@wanaka.co.nz

Arrowtown Promotion & Business Association
Nicky Busst – Manager
info@arrowtown.com

Ignite Wanaka Chamber
Naomi Lindsay – GM
naomi@ignitewanaka.co.nz 

Queenstown Lakes District Council
Peter Harris - Economic Development Manager
peter.harris@qldc.govt.nz

Regional Business Partners
Tara Druce - Business Growth Manager
tara@otagorbp.co.nz

 

Take Stock

A free, confidential counselling service is available to all staff of small to medium (SME) businesses in the Queenstown Lakes District.

Take Stock is an initiative by the Southern Lakes Business Recovery Group. It offers three free confidential counselling sessions through provider Benestar.

The service is completely free and confidential, and employers will not be made aware if their employee takes up the service.

To access the service, call 0800 360 364 and ask for Take Stock; or visit www.benestar.com; or email Benestar and quote the Take stock programme: 
counsellingsupportnz@benestar.com

What's new?

For the latest local business information, please click on the relevant date below. We will regularly update information here for you.

Business and Employee Resources

If you need additional support as a business or employee, please contact the resources available below. These links will be regularly updated by the relevant agency and organisation and are the source of truth for information.

Visit covid19.govt.nz for all updates.

Business Owner Support

Redeployment options / resources will be available here as they become available.

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