Toowoomba businesses urge council to offer support as Covid fear drives away customers

Toowoomba businesses have faced a tough period, with the fear of Omicron driving away customers. Now they’re calling on the council to back them up and offer support.

Hotel Norville owner Jason Bartholomew wants to see more support from council during the covid-imposed slowdown. Picture: Kevin Farmer

There were days in the past month when Hotel Norville co-owner Jason Batholomew wouldn’t see a single customer come into their restaurant.

“January has been diabolical for us — takeaway and delivery has been great and without that we’d be in a world of hurt,” he said.

“But you could go days without seeing a customer.

“Venues are seeing 50-70 per cent drops in trade, and food-based venues really feel the pinch of that.”

Mr Batholomew is just one of several small business owners wanting the Toowoomba Regional Council to offer support for pubs, clubs, restaurants, cafes and shops, through a variety of potential moves.

Operators, having already experienced a disappointing Christmas period and an even worse January, have also had to deal with storm damage from recent bad weather.

This sentiment was encapsulated by Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce president Kate Venables, who wrote to Mayor Paul Antonio asking the council to consider developing an action plan.

Ms Venables pointed to the Brisbane City Council’s latest relief package for small businesses as an example.

“The package included a waiver of annual licence fees, application and assessment fees, fee relief for commercial recycling waiver of rent charges and the like,” she wrote.

“We request on behalf of our members and the business community that Toowoomba Regional Council shows the same leadership and compassion to the local business community as demonstrated by the Brisbane City Council.”

Mr Batholomew said he personally would be happy with the council acknowledging the economic downturn and taking steps to encourage residents to go out and shop.

“There’s no reason the council couldn’t have run a basic media campaign urging shoppers to get back out there,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s a big thing to ask for – it would acknowledge there is an issue.”

Mr Bartholomew said he had spoken with several councillors and had been left disappointed with their reactions.

In response to the letter, Deputy Mayor Geoff McDonald said he wanted to see residents support local businesses in any way they could.

“At the start of the pandemic, council passed a range of measures to help our local businesses, and when the recent storm impacted our Toowoomba CBD, council quickly responded by providing free commercial waste disposal for businesses and discretion with any extra parking needs required,” he said.

“While these measures helped provide temporary relief, the best thing we can do right now for our businesses is support them.

“Grab a takeaway meal from a restaurant, buy clothes from a local retailer rather than shopping online, and wherever possible, shop local.”

Originally published as Toowoomba businesses urge council to offer support as Covid fear drives away customers