How Blue Mountains Council plans to save its tourist towns

Blue Mountains Council has thrown an economic lifeline to flailing businesses in the wake of the bushfires in a last-ditch bid to “save” its tourist towns from going under.

The Wayzgooze Cafe manager Rebecca Alchin serving customers in trade quiet Leura. Picture: Isabell Petrinic

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Blue Mountains Council has thrown an economic lifeline to flailing businesses in the wake of the Christmas bushfires in a last-ditch bid to “save” its tourist towns from going under.

Councillors set aside politics and unanimously agreed to refund up to half the commercial property rents of impacted businesses for three months — backdated to December.

This includes council’s 16 commercial tenants in tourist-dependent Leura and Katoomba.

The council will also use up to $200,000 of the $1 million it was allocated by the Federal Government grant to help the community recover.

Councillor Kevin Schreiber is doggedly optimistic it will be enough to “save” Leura, where “closing down sale” signs currently jump out at visitors. He hopes other landlords will take council’s lead.

Shoppers perusing the sale items at Acquisitions in Leura which, says co-owner Robert Noble, is only relocating. It’s not closing due to fires, he said, adding “We need people back here because we’re a tourist town”. Picture: Isabell Petrinic

Cat’s Meow’s spokeswoman said the shop will reopen as a second Inner Space Furniture in Leura. “We had our worst Christmas (trade) but change was in the works for us anyway,” she said. Picture: Isabell Petrinic

For Leura retailer Rebecca Alchin, the rent raft will be life-changing.

“It means I can pay my suppliers,” said Ms Alchin who experienced a $20,000 downturn in sales the week after Christmas.

She manages Wayzgoose Cafe, one of council’s long-time commercial tenants in Leura Mall.

Mayor Mark Greenhill wants this message to spread: “We are open for business. If you love us, come and see us.” Picture: Supplied

Trade-starved Pears and Apples clothing boutique is among two stores in Leura that look to go under after the fires, Acquisitions of Leura antiques store is relocating and the Cat’s Meow Interiors is rebranding.

“I feel like a victim of these bushfires,” Pears and Apples owner Aloga Jablonska said.

At the same time one shop space is being used as a temporary pop-up store and Le Gobelet remains empty.

“It would hurt any shopping village area to have a number of businesses shut,” said Mr Schreiber.

The Wayzgoose Cafe’s Rebecca Alchin says the trade downturn since November has been “appalling”, and she’s gone from six staff to two. Picture: Isabell Petrinic

With the $200,000 Federal Government funding, the council will also refund footpath dining regulatory fees for up to six months and develop a major Blue Mountains destination marketing campaign to bring back visitors.

Blue Mountains Regional Business Chamber president Mark Barton said there are other ways businesses can help themselves.

He said the Federal Government is offering low-interest loans of up to $500,000 for businesses that have lost significant assets or had a major dip in revenue and Centrelink is offering income relief for employees who lost wages due to fires.

Blue Mountains Regional Business Chamber president Mark Barton. Picture: Isabell Petrinic

“If you’ve just been three-months cash-negative, it won’t come back in three months — consider borrowing the money to subsidise your cash flow and get you through the other side,” Mr Barton said.

“Landlords, consider the options for your tenants; maybe reduce your rent by half” because the alternative is an empty shop and no income from it.

Macquarie state Labor MP Susan Templeman and opposition deputy leader Richard Marles discuss post-bushfire trade with Gallery One88 owner Victor Peralta (centre). “Everyone can do a service to rebuilding by visiting communities like Katoomba and Bilpin,” Mr Marles said. Picture: Isabell Petrinic

Ms Alchin said after the 2013 fires, which destroyed 194 homes in Winmalee and Yellow Rock, it took three years to go back to normal trading.

Desperate Uplift Fair Trade owner Anna Spoore has started a crowdfunding campaign after seeing sales in her Katoomba shop dive 75 per cent.

Online she said she’d be forced to close her shop in the next two months “if there is no dramatic change”.