6 May 2020
COVID-19 Timeline
What’s happened in the Australian banking sector during the coronavirus pandemic.
2020

February 14: coronavirus assistance offered

February 14: ABA COVID-19 assistance hub created

March 11: Government announces first stimulus package of $17.6B

March 20: small business relief package announced featuring 6 month deferrals

March 20: mortgage relief announced – 6 month deferrals available for homeowners

March 22: Government announces second stimulus package of $66B

March 25: COVID-19 FAQs published

March 30: business relief extended to landlords and renters

April 3: contactless payments to increase from $100 to $200

April 5: banks support JobKeeper – credit available to bridge gap till payments begin in May

April 6: credit scores secured – COVID-19 deferrals will not affect credit ratings

April 8: SME loan guarantee begin – 50% govt-guaranteed loans, no repayments for 6 months

April 24: dedicated JobKeeper business hotlines open

April 26: Bank CEOs support COVIDSafe app – will download app and encourage staff to do same

April 29: voluntary debit cards for passbook holders announced

April 29: COVID-19 anti-scam hub updated, fact sheets in 12 translations

May 8: 100,000 extra COVID-19 loan deferrals in a week – brings total to 643,000

May 16: 1 in 14 mortgages have now been deferred – 429,000 in total
2021

Mar 11: New expanded and extended SME loan scheme good for small business 80/20, 24 month deferrals, $250M turnover
Latest news
Media Releases
Bank support to flood impacted Kimberley region
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9 January 2023
“Banks hardship teams have experience working with those impacted by floods and can assist with a range of practical measures.”
ABA NewsMedia Releases
Don’t let scammers ruin your Christmas
Read more
19 December 2022
“At this time of the year, with Christmas upon us, we’re encouraging people to be extra vigilant.”
Transcript
Transcript – Anna Bligh on 4BC Brisbane – Scams and Cybersecurity
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16 December 2022
BILL MCDONALD: You may remember I spoke to Blake Talbot yesterday. Now, he got in touch with the show after falling victim to one of the most elaborate and sophisticated scams I think I may have ever heard of. Now, Blake and his pregnant wife have lost their entire life savings of over $26,000. As… Read more »