Kingscliff locals, where the bloody hell are ya?
Kingscliff is a ghost town according to a local real estate agent who says residents have “gone to ground” in fear of contracting coronavirus
Tweed Heads
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tweed Heads. Followed categories will be added to My News.
KINGSCLIFF is a ghost town according to a local real estate agent.
Residents have "gone to ground" in fear of contracting coronavirus says Heather Stewardson.
The Real Estate 2487 co-owner said the business survived the 2008 global financial crisis, longstanding drought, devastating bushfires and recent flooding but she had never seen business this quiet.
Ms Stewardson said the toilet paper hysteria was baffling and she will give new listings a 12 pack of three-ply toilet rolls.
"Maybe it's the modern, digital age we are living in, but we have never experienced anything like how quickly this health event has impacted our real estate business," she said.
"We have had people cancel appointments and also not list for sale because they don't want visitors in their home.
"My phone isn't ringing and I'm not getting emails, my enquiries have dropped, why has that stopped?
"Tourism wise, I own an apartment at Chevron Island, and half the bookings have cancelled."
RELATED: Wipeout leads to Tweed funny dunny paper chase
She has encouraged the community to emerge from their houses and support local businesses before they are forced to shut.
"We need to encourage people to still go out - and not just for toilet paper," Ms Stewardson said.
"The economy needs to keep moving and people going to ground isn't helping anyone.
"Why have people gone into lock down, when you look at the percentages of recovery, they're high and we're not in a third world country.
"It is affecting all businesses and we haven't had anyone in Kingscliff with the virus. The fear factor seems to be mounting.
"Coronavirus has not brought out the best of us, we pulled together so well throughout the bushfires, what's happened to us? It's really sad."
Globally, there are 134,702 coronavirus cases, 4979 deaths and 70,381 people had recovered.
‘Grave crime:’ Man jailed over stabbing death in KFC car park
The young man who stabbed Canberra teen Lachlan ‘Lachie’ Andrews to death during a brawl at a Northern Rivers KFC has been sentenced to jail but could be out on parole as early as February. Here’s the sentence.
‘Psychopath’: Inmate threatens woman before alleged motel siege
An inmate threatened to attack a woman, saying “you haven’t seen a psychopath yet”, months before he allegedly held her hostage during a six-hour North Coast motel siege.