Representatives from some of the ACT's largest employers have lent their support to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's plan for speeding up the vaccine rollout.
Leaders of the ACT branches of Master Builders, the Property Council of Australia, the Australian Hotels Association and the Business Chamber will call on their industries to get involved in the vaccine program, following this week's call from the federal government.
Mr Frydenberg and head of the vaccine rollout, Lieutenant General John Frewen, want workplace COVID-19 vaccinations to work in a similar way to annual flu vaccinations.
The Property Council's Adina Cirson said ACT office occupancy had stagnated at between 65-72 per cent of pre-Covid levels and the impact was being felt by small businesses.
"The more employees that we have in the city who are vaccinated the less risk there is. We all know that," Ms Cirson said.
She said by encouraging business employees to get vaccinated the Property Council hoped to see a return to the office.
"If people are in their offices in their workplaces they're supporting the retail, the cafes and the restaurants which are really vital to our economic recovery," Ms Cirson said.
Hotels association ACT general manager Anthony Brierley said interstate lockdowns hurt the hotel and hospitality industries in Canberra.
"Our industry is one of the most exposed - if not the most exposed - to public health directions to combat coronavirus," Mr Brierley said.
He said the AHA was urging hospitality workers and patrons to get vaccinated as soon as possible because "jabs protect jobs".
"Everyone who works in a hospitality venue, everyone who visits a hospitality venue, should go and get vaccinated, whether it's the Pfizer jab or if they're not eligible go and have a chat to their doctor and get the AstraZeneca jab - that's what I did," Mr Brierley said.
"The more people who can get vaccinated the less likely we will be to experience any of these restrictions which cripple our industries."
Canberra Business Chamber's Michael Schaper said the business community just wanted the country back operating at full speed as quickly as possible.
"The clear and straightforward way is to get as many people vaccinated as soon as possible," he said.
Master Builders ACT chief executive Michael Hopkins said the territory's building and construction industry had done an incredible job to date in complying with health directives.
"By supporting the vaccine rollout, Master Builders and its members will play a vital role in reopening the country and accelerating the economic recovery," Mr Hopkins said.
