Sundaes @ The Pier in Hervey Bay broken into three times

A Fraser Coast business owner, who has been a victim of multiple break-ins, has spoken out about local crime and the damage costs to his business and his family. PHOTOS, VIDEO:

For one Fraser Coast business owner, three breaks-ins in less than a year has motivated him to take action.

Chris Bye owns Hervey Bay’s Sundaes @ The Pier with his wife Tina August.

The ice-cream cafe has experienced three break-ins in 10 months, with the last incident earlier this year on the Anzac Day weekend.

Mr Bye said the “reoffending locals” were mostly children.

“They took three bottles of Powerade, three cans of Mother and half a box of lollies - probably totaled $50,” he said.

“At this point in time we’re looking at $15,000 in damages, replacement in glass... lack of operation due to damages...”

It comes as Police Minister Mark Ryan visited Hervey Bay on Tuesday, speaking out on escalating crime in the seaside city, as well as revealing plans for a new police station to meet the growing population.

Determined to take action, Mr Bye visited dozens of stores on the Esplanade who had also been victims of crime.

Out of the 26 stores who told him their damage costs, he has calculated a total damage bill $275,000.

And for a small business, the cost of repairs hits hard in the hip pocket.

“Our insurance premium has gone up $60 a month since the very first window, and everytime I put a claim in it goes up again, it’s just one of those things that goes up and up and up everytime we do claim,” he said.

In an attempt to help pay for the damages to his store, Mr Bye put up the price of his sandwiches, but ultimately, raising food and coffee prices is something he just cannot do for business.

“We need to stay in competition with the rest of everyone,” he said.

“We’ve got a coffee shop 100m either side of us, and so we need to keep our prices where they are without inflating them, or it just comes back to we’re not selling anything - plain and simple.

“People are going to walk past us, rather than coming in to get our coffee.”

When asked what he would like to see done to combat crime in the area, Mr Bye said tougher laws and more support from the council and government bodies.

“I’d like to see some of the laws changed... the police are doing a fantastic job, but I’d like to see the police getting more support from the government... from the local councils...” he said.

“Security cameras would be a good start, but then again, that’s only a start... we’ve currently got security cameras here, but they don’t use them until after the event, and I mean once the horse has bolted, how fast have you got to run until you catch him again?”

Chris Bye owns Hervey Bay’s Sundaes @ The Pier with his wife Tina August. The ice-cream cafe has experienced three break-ins in 10 months, with the last incident earlier this year on the Anzac Day weekend.

In recent months, Mr Bye started the Hervey Bay Business Accord which is a group designed for local businesses to meet and share their ideas and solutions surrounding crime to put forward to council.

“Businesses have actually told me they’re actually getting quotes on roller shutters on the front of their buildings,” Mr Bye said.

“I can see four outcomes of that... I can see either a car being driven through them, backed up to them and a chain put through them and then getting pulled off the front of the building, they’re either getting kicked in or going to be graffitied.

“How impressive do you reckon that’s going to be when you come to the beautiful Bay and you see smashed up roller-shutters?”

Wooden sheets barricade the glass windows at the front of Sundaes @ The Pier after recent break-ins.

For Mr Bye, he is not just running a business, but on the floor selling food to customers, making coffees and scooping ice-creams.

Now, he must also deal with smashed windows from break-ins, explaining it makes him feel “worthless”.

“My wife was in tears and this is what these little grubs don’t see,” he said.

“It’s annoying to say the least, but what do you do?

“Government always tells us we’ve got the most stringent laws, well we need to do something about those laws.”