Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Stuart Nash promises to look at ways to help Queenstown

Tourism Minister Stuart Nash has promised to look at ways to help the hard-hit hospitality sector as Queenstown businesses grapple with the effects of Covid-19 community transmission and isolation requirements.

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult said he spoke again with Nash yesterday and discussed "the dire situation facing businesses in our part of the world at the present time".

"He said he was aware of that from the media, obviously, but he said he had become more aware in recent days just how serious things were."

Boult said he, again, discussed with him some options he believed worthy of consideration — reinstating the wage subsidy, a rent subsidy and "some sort of soft loan".

The last of those, Boult said, would "rank behind any other debt the business might have" and be at a nominal rate of interest, with repayment "way out in the future, on the assumption it would be made once the business had recovered".

"He heard me out and said he would discuss it with his cabinet colleagues and respond to me.

"There's a bunch of really desperate people out there at the present point in time, and I know it's asking them to hang out for a bit longer but let's wait and see what he comes back with."

Boult's comments come as the Queenstown hospitality industry has been hit particularly hard by the Omicron outbreak.

Nineteen bars, restaurants and venues closed early this week according to one count.

Republic Hospitality Group chief executive Blair Impey said on Wednesday about 50 of his Queenstown staff were isolating and eight of 11 establishments in his group were closed.

He and other business leaders in the resort have called on the Government to act quickly with financial support for the resort's struggling hospitality sector and a relaxation of isolation rules.