Data just released by Cairns Airport confirms what everyone in the tourism sector has known for a while; the lock-downs in NSW and Victoria have created an effective locked-out situation for Cairns. Passenger numbers through Cairns Airport fell 60% in August and are now down 10.2% from the same time …read more
The impact on mobility in Cairns, as measured by the average of the Google Mobility Indexes, as NSW, Victoria and (briefly) Cairns itself went into lock down has been dramatic. Despite Cairns’ own lockdown lasting just 3 days the effect of the continued lock down in the South, which has …read more
As I noted in my post last week (see here) it is vital, if the Far North is to survive over coming months and flourish ‘on the other side of COVID’, that we ensure a high level of vaccination to ensure visitors, and locals, can feel as safe as possible …read more
I’ve been approached by The Cairns Post for some thoughts on where Cairns might be heading in our COVID future and how best we can get there, and what the ‘clear path’ might be. I’m certainly no health expert, but their question forced me to put pen to paper and …read more
The lockdowns in Greater Sydney, Victoria and South Australia have seen Google Mobility averages across Australia decline (for the 7-day average to 25th July) to their lowest level since 11th May last year. Queensland, where the most recent lockdown was short and sharp in late-June/early-July, now sits with the best …read more
In the face of lock-downs across the country earlier in the month (which continue in Sydney) Google Mobility data confirms that Cairns managed to escape relatively unscathed and, as a result, has opened up a significant gap with many other regions. There did appear to be a short-lived, and small …read more
The latest Google Mobility data (to 9th May) suggests that Cairns, in particular, has performed very strongly after the slow-down caused by ANZAC Day, Easter and a very wet period of weather a couple of weeks ago. The 7-day average mobility indicator for Cairns now sits at just 0.2% (and …read more
The release by the ABS of the weekly Payrolls data up to 24th April might have been expected to provide some evidence of the impact of the end of JobKeeper. However, the fact that this data set is not seasonally adjusted, combined with the impact of the Easter holidays, means …read more
The Google Mobility data allows us to see how various regions have been performing based on how much people have been moving around (with their mobile phones). The latest data up to 2nd April shows that Cairns has been doing particularly well and the 2-and-a-half day Brisbane lock-down appears to …read more
Due to a written response by Treasury to the Senate COVID committee (available here) I’ve been able to update and rethink my estimates of JobKeeper in Cairns (SA4) and what might happen come March when the scheme is due to end. Treasury told the committee that JobKeeper recipients for the …read more