Noosa new trader hit by lockdown – ‘we need this like we need a hole in the head’

Noosaville traders have backed calls by Mayor Clare Stewart and state Opposition Leader David Crisafulli for government support for businesses without JobKeeper.

Riverside By The Good Place chef Dennis Dijst is digging in to continue to serve meals during the Covid lockdown.

Nine weeks after a gangbuster opening of his Gympie Terrace eatery, Jim McRobert is appealing for local and government support to see him through the latest lockdown.

“We need this like a hole in the head – I’m almost speechless to be honest – it’s not a good time,” Mr McRobert said.

“It’s a new business and we’re just working on it.

“We’ve got a lot of love locally – we’ve had some fantastic reviews,” he said.

The Riverside By The Good Place owner said he was “absolutely” backing calls by Mayor Clare Stewart and state Opposition Leader David Crisafulli for a government support package for businesses which no longer have JobKeeper wage subsidies to fall back on.

A foodie fightback as takeaways become the means to an end to survive the Covid lockdown with Dennis Dijst and Sarah Petriment serving up a storm.

Mr McRobert said after starting off as the 216th ranked Noosa eatery on Tripadvisor, they have shot up into the top 10, but all their momentum had come to a sudden stop with the latest Delta outbreak creating business havoc during peak school holidays.

“We’d just stocked up massively, unless we can move some of this stock it doesn’t bear thinking about, we’ve just had to regroup with a skeleton staff,” Mr McRobert said.

Their backs-to-the-wall move is what pulled most other eateries through the previous lockdowns – takeaways.

He’s put the call out for Noosa locals and any school holidaying visitors to rally behind his staff that includes chef Dennis Dijst, Sarah Petriment and Taylah Beven, to work together and “kick this (virus) into touch”.

“It’s day one – we’re in unknown territory,” Mr McRobert said.

This local snap of Hastings just after Tuesday post lockdown shows how deserted this school holiday hot spot became shortly after 6pm.

In her lockdown address to locals Tuesday Ms Stewart called for special Covid support to keep local traders financially afloat.

“To the federal and state governments, I urge you to consider a small business package or a stimulus for our tourism sector, our business sector,” she said.

“We’re a tourist town and this is our school holidays and we stand with our tourism and small business during this time.”

Mr Crisafulli had urged the State Government to come up with lump sum lockdown payments to cover income loss, a deep cleaning rebate and event cancellation financial support.

These pleas for help came as Donna McCann of Noosa Heads posted on social media an evening photograph of Hastings Street soon after the lockdown came into force Tuesday night with the caption: “Hastings St just turned into a ghost town.”

Robin Mitchell’s comment was “wow, so different from Sunday night. It was buzzing”, while Mikka Lee Whitaker posted: “These poor causal workers are already struggling to pay extra high rents next week is going to be a s--- week for most with no pay.”