'No one has put money in the bank for something like this.'
These are sobering words from manager of Sharks Sporting Club at Victoria Point and Cleveland Mal Cochrane as he explores options for keeping both clubs and staff looked after in the wake of the Monday morning closure.
Manager of Cineplex Victoria Point echoed the sentiment after being among the 30 casuals employed who lost their jobs in the wake of the Coronavirus.
"We were expecting it. We'd really just been staying open to look after us. Everyone here is a casual. I've been a casual for 17 years. We usually have about 900 people at the cinema a day and we were down to 100," Mr Maggs said.
"My wife was watching Dancing with Stars when the show was interrupted for Scomo's speech. That's how you find out you are unemployed," he said.
Mr Maggs said he was now trying to negotiate Centrelink, the hardest part being to attain a customer reference number.
"If you aren't in the system, you don't have that number and there are about 100,000 people trying to get through," he said.
Mr Cochrane said he too closed doors of both Redland Sharks clubs on Monday, dismissing about 30 casual staff and doing "what he could" for 15 permanent staff.
"We just have to see how long we can pay them. Right now, I'm trying to work through all this and lighten the load. I've been talking to suppliers who are still billing us. If we can't service a customer and the bills are coming in, that's a worry," he said.
The closure also affects the club's hundreds of sporting teams in AFL, netball, softball,cricket, triathlons and fishing.
"We are bracing for a long period. We've all got to stay isolated and kill this thing, so we can get back going again," he said.
Area manager for McGuires, including the Alexandra Hills Hotel Rick Graveson said several 21st birthday parties, the Mayor's breakfast and copious entertainment events were now in abeyance with the closure of the premises. Currently the bottle shop and hotel remain open.
The closure has meant the loss of jobs for about 50 casual staff at Alexandra Hills and about 700 across the group.
"It's been tough on all staff, but everyone has been so understanding. We've helped however we can. We had a lot of functions booked and a lot of perishables, which we shared across our group," he said.
"To their credit, casuals have been sharing their hours with each other. We are all pulling together," he said.
Mr Maggs said during the cinema shutdown, refurbishments could occur ahead of schedule.
"When we go back, it will be a great place to be," he said.
