An Innisfail business is facing closure due to bungled paperwork under the Newman Government’s new tattoo laws.
Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt said he had learned that a local business had completed the required paperwork and paid appropriate licensing fees but police had ordered the business to shut its doors.
Mr Pitt said the business had acted swiftly to complete paperwork when police informed her that forms had been delivered to the wrong PO box.
“I’m advised that the owner downloaded the form and completed them in front of local police. The forms were sent to the government on July 11 and payment was deducted on July 14,” Mr Pitt said.
“However because the paperwork has not yet been processed, police visited the tattoo studio the day after payment had been accepted and ordered the owners to shut up shop.
“The fault here appears to lay with the government who sent paperwork to the wrong address, not the owner who acted swiftly to correct the mistake.
“The business still needs to pay rent and other expenses during this forced closures and they are paying the consequence for the government’s mistake.
“When impacts on a Rockhampton tattoo business that related to the new license laws were raised with the Premier in the media, he said he’d look into it. I’m asking him to do the same for this Innisfail business.
Mr Pitt said the local business owner now worried about the impact the bungle was having on her business.
“This whole episode has been one bungle after another,” Mr Pitt said.
“This is a local business operating in an area where unemployment is around 8% at last measure and youth unemployment is nudging 22%.
“Why does the Newman Government want to force a local business to close when other businesses have been able to trade while their applications were being processed?”
“What we need in this situation is common sense to prevail and this business to be able to trade while the assessment on its application is being undertaken – not more stubbornness from the arrogant Newman Government.”
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