The NSW COVID-19 lockdown support package includes a range of measures for SMEs, landlords and tenants. The major announcements include:

  • NSW businesses with turnover of at least $75,000 and annual Australian wages up to $10 million which experience a decline in turnover of 30 per cent will be eligible for a grant of between $7,500 and $15,000. Applications open 19 July 2021

  • NSW businesses with an annual turnover of between $75,000 to $50 million which experience a decline in turnover of 30 per cent will be eligible for a payment of 40 per cent of their NSW payroll, with the payment between $1500 to $10,000 per week. Recipient businesses must maintain their full time, part time and long-term casual staffing level as of 13 July 2021. The calculation of turnover and measuring its decline in line with 2019 equivalents will determine eligibility.

  • For non-employing businesses, the payment will be $1000 per week. Applications are expected to open 26 July 2021

  • NSW businesses with a turnover of between $30,000 and $75,000 which experience a decline in turnover of 30 per cent will be eligible for a $1500 payment per fortnight of restrictions.

  • Unlike the cash flow boost, the new measures will be administered by Service NSW, instead of the ATO, and it remains to be announced how eligibility and payments will be managed.

  • Payroll tax waivers of 25 per cent for NSW businesses with Australian wages of between $1.2 million and $10 million that have experienced a 30 per cent decline in turnover, as well as payroll tax deferrals and interest free repayment plans.

Please note, information on the eligibility requirements for these grants has not been published at the time of writing. Please follow the Service NSW website to keep up to date.

Many of the details required to apply for grants and funding, such as full eligibility and decline in
turnover details, are not yet available. 

Land tax relief
Land tax relief equal to the value of rent reductions provided by commercial, retail and residential landlords to financially distressed tenants will be available for up to 100% of the 2021 land tax liability.

Further support for workers impacted by COVID-19 in NSW

The COVID-19 Disaster Payment has been increased for the fourth and subsequent weeks of Sydney’s lockdown (the third payment period) to $600 each week if a person has lost 20 hours or more of work a week, or $375 each week if a person has lost between 8 and 20 hours of work.

From the third week of lockdown, applicants will no longer be required to declare they have less than $10,000 in liquid assets to be eligible for the payment.

Recipients no longer need to re-claim for each seven-day period of a lockdown.