The Government’s lack of direction around COVID-19 is impacting more on Southland businesses and communities than the virus itself, Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds says.

“Event organisers are struggling to cope with the lack of information and direction from the Government, making event planning virtually impossible.

“We’re seeing major local events being cancelled because organisers have no sense of how long level two will continue, with the information vacummn  people are living with playing havoc with community plans.

“More concerning, local fundraising events, which are often the lifeblood of local charities and school and sports clubs, are also falling by the wayside impacting on the ability of these groups to raise funds for the future.

“On top of that, Southland event organisers have told me that the bureaucracy around organising events, and scanning visitors in, is so complicated and labour-intensive that it’s virtually impossible to hold any large gatherings.

“Instead we are seeing events like Rocking with the Stars, the Winton Open Day, the Southland Truck parade and the Southland Charity Hospital’s fund-raising ball all being cancelled. The Christmas Races, Edendale Crank Up Day and the Southern Field Days also now hang in the balance - thousands of hours of work and potential revenue for local businesses and venue owners set to go down the drain while the Government sits on its hands.

“It’s having a detrimental effect on the Southland economy, negatively hitting local businesses and also impacting on people’s moods and their peace of mind – with the limbo that we’re living in wearing very thin.

“I wrote to the Prime Minister weeks ago asking for more clarity around level two in the South Island – the silence has been deafening, with the Government’s lack of communication around the Covid lockdown having a greater impact on local communities than the virus itself.”