Joe Natoli is calling on his fellow Sunshine Coast councillors to oppose the State Government’s vaccine mandate which he said would hurt local businesses.
Cr Natoli said he had been flooded with more than 1200 emails from people concerned about the impact of the rule changes that come into effect on December 17.
From that date certain businesses such as restaurants, cafes and bars will only be permitted to admit people who are vaccinated and will have to police it.
Compulsory vaccinations also apply to staff in hospitals, schools, child care centres, prisons and venues, as well as people who enter those premises.
Cr Natoli will on Thursday put forward a Notice of Motion asking his fellow councillors to “consider the plight of our region’s thousands of small business owners and the massive impact the vaccine mandate will have on their livelihood”.
“The impost on small business will be huge. The mental health implications for our community members are enormous,” Cr Natoli said.
“I believe the discriminatory nature of the mandates will have a detrimental effect on businesses, staff and members of the public.”
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Cr Natoli’s motion says small businesses required to police the new restrictions would suffer “unreasonable impost and burden on operational costs”.
“It is an unreasonable impost to place the obligation on small business owners to dismiss employees who choose not to be vaccinated,” it reads.
“The outcome of the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions may result in business owners having to close their businesses due to owners choosing not to be vaccinated or being unable to continue to operate due to loss of staff.
“The reduced revenue will have a negative effect on the local economy by restricting non vaccinated customers from entering businesses.”
The Notice of Motion will call on council to inform the Premier of Queensland it has “serious concerns” regarding the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions.
It will further request the State Government not to proceed with the restrictions until it understands the full impact and fallout on small businesses and undertakes a full economic impact assessment.
The motion will also urge the State Government not introduce COVID 19 restrictions on December 17 based on concerns it will have serious impacts on small businesses, on workers and members of our community.
Cr Natoli said a number of “concerned residents” would be attending council chambers on Thursday morning for the meeting.
Small Business Minister Di Farmer on Tuesday said businesses and workers would be offered training in dealing with unruly patrons.
