South-west workers are being hit hard by the statewide lockdown with a lack of government support leaving some with reduced or no work hours and therefore little to no income.
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Warrnambool City Council said that as with previous lockdowns, local government staff were again excluded from any income support from state or federal governments.
Warrnambool Golf Club said the state's fifth lockdown was taking a bigger toll on its business and for the first time had had to cut staff hours.
The council said it was supporting its staff as best it could, including providing short-term support of casual staff, who had been rostered to work in the first week of the lockdown.
The council was forced to stand down more than 100 staff during last year's extended lockdowns.
"Challenges facing local government are similar to those facing other businesses in that it is important to retain casual staff so that as restrictions are lifted our services are ready to go," it said.
"However, as with any other business, we cannot roster on casual staff in situations where work is not permitted or available."
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With the city's finances expected to take another $250,000 hit because of the current lockdown, the council is expected to do what it did last year and delay some of its smaller asset renewal projects - something that is likely to put further pressure on the already ballooning backlog.
Golf club manager Ashlee Scott said there was more uncertainty around this lockdown and because the sport was in the middle of the low season it had little choice but to cut back.
Ms Scott said that even though the club was no longer eligible for Jobkeeper by December last year, it was able to get through this year's earlier lockdowns and still pay staff because the popularity of the sport had brought more revenue in over the summer period.
"Because golf has been going through such a boom and membership is up 15 per cent, and we were in peak season, we were fortunate we were in a position where we could keep staff on full-time during the last lockdown periods," she said.
But because it was now low season, the club wasn't generating a lot of income, and Ms Scott said it had made the heartbreaking decision to cut staff hours to three days during the lockdown.
"We've cut their hours and it's up to them if they want to supplement the extra two days with annual leave," she said.
Ms Scott said she was hoping there would be government support for those with reduced hours.
"Having no golfers on course is the perfect opportunity to get some of those trickier jobs done but when you can't afford to pay staff, it's just got to be put off for a bit," she said.
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