The heart of the Australian way of life is under threat with small businesses fighting for survival as lockdown restrictions continue. The crisis has hastened the ongoing decline of small business that functions as the fabric that holds local communities together. 

A survey commissioned by the Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia revealed a third of sole traders have been hit with an 80% decline in turnover, while three in four small businesses have experienced a decline in revenue since the beginning of the lockdown restrictions.  

The restrictions over the last three months have placed a particular strain on small business....