COMMUNITY Clubs Victoria (CCV) has called on the state government to provide its more than 1000 member clubs with a clear road map for managing future Covid outbreaks, warning that the lack of transparency was putting immense pressure on already struggling clubs.
CCV chief executive Andrew Lloyd said the current approach had created a culture of uncertainty that impacted clubs and the communities they served, long after lockdowns and restrictions had been lifted.
“Many of our regional clubs have been operating at a significant loss under recent restrictions, despite being hundreds of kilometres away from the nearest case and having robust CovidSafe plans in place,” Mr Lloyd said.
“With several experts warning that we’ll likely see sporadic outbreaks in the future, we need to be given some insights into how these will be managed.
“Without that, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, and there’s no way for regional community clubs and businesses to confidently prepare for the future.”
Mr Lloyd said the uncertainty of ongoing, blanket lockdowns also threatened to exacerbate the labour shortage that was already affecting hospitality in regional areas.
“If a community club can be forced to close its doors indefinitely because of a case in Melbourne, the prospect of working in an industry that won’t be impacted – a supermarket or construction – becomes much more appealing,” he said.
Swan Hill Club was contacted for comment.
