Great South has set up a COVID-19 Business Response team to support local businesses and help them navigate their businesses through these uncertain times.

The response is aimed at providing businesses with support by connecting them to the resources needed to "mitigate the impacts" caused by the global pandemic.

However, it is not yet clear what the full immediate and longer terms effects that COVID-19 has or will have on Southland businesses and what support they will need to thrive in the future. 

Great South Chief Executive Graham Budd said it was already evident that the business environment would “look and feel different” for some time.

But Mr Budd said that despite the challenges brought about by COVID-19, he was confident that with the resources available to local businesses, and by working alongside the government, Great South would be able to play a significant role in supporting the Southland region get back on its feet.

He said the information gathered by the business response team would be vital to understanding the regional impacts of the virus, and would be used to inform both national and regional leaders of the economic and social support that was required for the Southland region to reposition itself in the months and years to come.

As a member of the Regional Business Partner Network, Great South had also received additional funding from the government to support businesses in mitigating the impact of COVID-19, Mr Budd said. 

He said the funding would be used to connect local businesses with one-on-one support from its business growth advisors where they would offer help to businesses in four key areas: human Resources, health and wellness, business continuity planning, and finance and cashflow management. 

Mr Budd said since the funding was allocated two weeks ago, there had already been "significant" demand for support via the initiative.

He said to help manage the influx of responses and wait times; "we encourage businesses to first access the information available on our website and then one of our business growth advisors will get back in touch to go through the application and outline the next steps in the process". 

Great South had also carried out a 'Southland Accommodation Providers Survey', on behalf of Emergency Management Southland. Mr Budd said once the results of the survey had been processed they would be given to EMS so it could direct its welfare response across the region.