14 April COVID-19 Update

Queensland children will learn from home for the first five weeks of Term 2.

  • Children of essential workers & vulnerable children can attend school where they’ll be taught by their regular classroom teachers
  • Staff will continue to work from the classroom
  • Schools are talking directly with families about how and when they will receive learning materials
  • For children who don’t have a laptop at home, schools can loan them devices
  • Queensland Education has secured over 5000 sim cards for students without internet connectivity so they can access online resources
  • An announcement on the plan for the remainder of Term 2 will be made in mid-May

 

Queensland’s community kindergartens are struggling during the COVID-19 emergency, so the Palaszczuk Government is delivering a $17 million support package to keep them going.

This one-off funding will now support 465 Queensland community kindergartens right across the state.

It helps them stay open in term 2 and enables them to provide their programs free of charge for families for this period.

It means more than 22,000 young Queenslanders can enjoy a free kindergarten program and even take up learning at home.

And importantly 2,754 early childhood teachers and educators will continue to be employed.

 

 

 

If you rent your home, rent your shop or office, or if you are a landlord of a residential or commercial property, The AP Government has got something to help you out during the COVID-19 emergency

the Palaszczuk Government is offering a three-month rebate of land tax for 2019-20, followed by a three month deferral of land tax 2020-21 for property owners who agree to provide rent relief for tenants affected by the coronavirus downturn

There will be legislative changes that will ban evictions on the grounds of financial distress, prevent rent increases (except in cases where business turnover has increased) and allow leases to be extended for the term of a rent waiver that has been agreed to by property owner and tenant

The key part to this rebate is that the savings for the property owners are passed on to tenants. Landlords must comply with leasing principles that protect their tenants in order to be eligible for this land tax relief.

. A website to apply for this relief will go live this week.

Residential tenants in real crisis can access up to $500 a week in rent relief for up to four weeks. This is a crisis payment for tenants who have exhausted all options and are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Applications can be made online, or call the Residential Tenancies Authority on 1800 497 161 for more information.

The PM has also announced a mandatory code for commercial tenants. The State will consult further with industry on implementation of the Prime Minister’s code.

 

Leasing Principles
To be eligible for land tax relief, a landowner must commit to comply with the principles set out below.

For a residential landowner, the principles are:

You will negotiate in good faith with your tenant to seek a mutually agreeable resolution if their ability to pay is impacted by COVID-19;

You will not evict your tenant if they are in financial distress and unable to meet their commitments due to the impact of COVID-19;

You will not end a tenancy for any reason other than on an approved ground; this does not include the tenant’s inability to pay rent or the end of a fixed term lease;

You will not charge break lease fees for tenants who need to end a fixed term tenancy early due to the financial, health or personal safety impacts of COVID-19; and

You will allow a tenant to refuse entry for non-essential reasons, including routine repairs and inspections, particularly if a member of the household has a higher risk profile if exposed to COVID-19.

If you are a commercial landowner, the principles are:

You will negotiate in good faith with your tenant to seek a mutually agreeable resolution if their ability to pay is impacted by COVID-19;

You will not evict your tenant if they are in financial distress and unable to meet their commitments due to the impact of COVID-19;

You will not increase rent, except where rent is linked to turnover;

You will not penalise a tenants who stops trading or reduces opening hours;

You will not charge any interest on unpaid or deferred rent; and

You will not make a claim on a bank guarantee or security deposit for non-payment of rent.

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