Mid-North Coast: Lockdown lifts, but cost of Covid leaves its impacts

The handbrake on locked-down businesses was released on Saturday as affected traders reopened their doors. But just how severe has the economic downturn been and can they survive the damage?

The road to recovery for the Mid-North Coast economy made significant leaps and bounds on Saturday as the region lifted itself out of the state-sanctioned lockdown and businesses reopened their doors.

The cool rooms at The Settlers Inn kept the beers nice and cold over the last four weeks, which tasted oh so sweet not only for the drinking public but for publican Alistair Flower who was able to flick the lights back on to a full house.

“Saturday was just outstanding for everything … people just wanting to get craft beer back in their belly.

“Just to be back in a social environment, that’s what people were wanting.”

“To be out and to be seen, just to say G’day to a neighbour.”

Alistair Flower at Settlers Inn, Port Macquarie. Picture: Nathan Edwards

The positive outlook for Mr Flower has helped mask the economic impacts the last four weeks have had on he and other businesses which were forced to close as the state tries to tackle the escalating number of Covid-19 cases.

“We were very fortunate that there was a lot of expenses that got frozen,” he said.

“It wasn’t just the pubs that closed, but the entertainers, the Foxtel subscriptions, TABs and Kenos — these were at a standstill as well.

“It’s not so much the impact of losing money, but the opportunity of making money that goes. But we’ve managed that quite well.

The heavy reliance on the Sydney tourism market, and the decline in the usually high number of corporate and private tours to Ricardoes Tomatoes, has brought its strawberry sales to a standstill.

Anthony Sarks and son, also Anthony Sarks, at Ricardoes Tomatoes in Port Macquarie. Picture: supplied

The Blackmans Point business saw income decimated by “hundreds of thousands” of dollars which was lost primarily from visitation to its country cafe and farm.

The Covid restrictions wiped out entry to its strawberry-picking experience where every holidays thousands of people come to pick their own berries from massive greenhouses running 5km avenues of fruit.

But for farm owner and agronomist Anthony Sarks, wasting his crop was never an option.

As a sustainable practice, Ricardoes has regularly sent surplus fruit for conversion in a local commercial kitchen into strawberry jam, tomato and strawberry jam, tomato and passion fruit jam and strawberry vinegar.

They’ve now turned their extra supply of fruit in to 25,000 jars of produce for sale at their premises and online.

“Dumping fresh, quality fruit, or leaving it to rot, absolutely goes against the grain,” Mr Sarks said.

A frames of strawberries growing inside Ricardoes Tomatoes greenhouse. Picture: supplied

“As farmers, we always want to ensure the effort put into producing our healthy crops is never wasted.

“As well, we have a loyal staff of about 20 people and we aim to stand by them in what are extremely tight trading circumstances.”

Ricardoes are based on the Pacific Highway, and are regarded as one of the major tourism players alongside Cassegrain and Bago wineries and the Billabong Zoo.

The four of them work in tandem, rather than against one another, to boost the region’s tourism appeal.

“Now that Port Macquarie is reopening and the school holidays start next week, we’ll be selling plenty of scones in our cafe as well as preserves in our farm shop, with visitors returning in big numbers,” Mr Sarks said.

Willow Rissel, left, with Mel Schmidt, owner of Pure Lash. Picture: Dan Mills

Operating from her Town Beach studio, owner-operator of Brows by Willow, Willow Rissel, will be catching up on a month of forward bookings by working seven days a week until she gets her delayed schedule back on track.

“I’ve been booked out for about two-to-three months since opening here,” she said.

“Now I’m booked out until nearly December.”

The continuation of paying rent, combined with the loss of income from trade over hte last four weeks, has been worse than expected. She only prepared for a week-long lockdown that ended up lasting a month.

“We definitely did get a little bit of help from the government, but we’re certainly down on what we would be,” Ms Rissel said.

Willow Rissel.

“It’s definitely good being back, though.

“We’re a lot happier being social in here again and having our clients come in the door, but it is just also a bit worrying knowing when the next case might come up again.”

It’s a similar feeling that’s shared by Chop ‘n Chill owner, Jacqui Cudmore.

Income is down 97 per cent at her Port Macquarie premises, and about half that at her recently opened South West Rocks shop.

“I was staying open from 7am to 11am serving coffee with a very light breakfast just to support my community,” she said.

“But I was just running at a loss … 97 per cent down when you’re still negotiating with your landlord, it’s really hard and very stressful.

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“You’ve just to suck it up.

“If I told you what I paid in rent for last year, it would make your hair stand up … the most expensive rent in Port Macquarie.”

She said while she’s back open for now, there’s no guarantees what might happen next and that’s the biggest frustration.

“I’m nervous about the school holidays being just around the corner,” she said.

“I don’t want to be the next place to be known for it [having a case] … but what do you do? You do the best you can.”