Batemans Bay shines on new limited edition Monopoly board raising money for the Red Cross

Locals say Batemans Bay’s appearance on a new limited addition Monopoly board will bring much-needed exposure to the town one year after the start of the bushfire emergency.

22 local communities from around the nation, including Batemans Bay, will be featured in the custom Australian Community Relief MONOPOLY game board to unite Australians nationwide and raise much needed funds due to the impacts of various disasters including bushfires, floods and COVID-19.

Situated between the Blue Mountains and Bundaberg, the south coast town of Batemans Bay has been celebrated on a newly released monopoly board, aimed at raising money for community relief projects.

Winning Moves Australia, the maker of custom Monopoly boards, said the special edition recognises Australian towns hit hard by not only the summer bushfires but also floods and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company said five dollars from each sale will be donated to the Australian Red Cross and they “they wanted to provide Australians with something positive after the challenging year”.

Batemans Bay has been celebrated on a newly released monopoly board. Supplied

“There are so many places that could have been selected, it was a tough call,” a company spokesman said.

We wanted to ensure we had a roughly equal spread across the whole country, across all the states and territories and keep it as nationally representative as possible.

“Most of the towns, Batemans Bay included, have had a tough time over for one reason over the past year, and we felt they could use some extra light and something positive for their community as we head into Christmas.”

Eurobodalla deputy mayor and Regional Development Australia Far South Coast member Robert Pollock said the placement of Batemans Bay on the board will help boost the town’s profile ahead of the upcoming tourist season.

22 local communities from around the nation will be featured in the custom Australian Community Relief MONOPOLY game board to unite Australians nationwide and raise much needed funds due to the impacts of various disasters including bushfires, floods and COVID-19.

“I think any time you gain that type of recognition it’s a boost to our profile,” Councillor Pollock said.

“It’s like having your town on the weather map during the national news. It’s definitely a plus. It’s definite value and recognition.

“There isn’t any area of Australia that suffered more than we did during the bushfires.

“We will take whatever we can get.”

Five dollars from each board go to communities who have faced various disasters including bushfires, floods and COVID-19.

The former restaurateur of 20 years said despite the horrors of the last 12 months, the region is again filled with tourists looking to enjoy a beach holiday and support local businesses.

“The road to Canberra was out for a month before the fires hit, and it really took the wind out of us,” he said.

“In the last month there’s been significant economic activity, so we are certainly gaining on what we lost.

“The traffic heading back to Canberra this weekend was a big as any long weekend holiday I’ve seen.

Batemans Bay features on a new Monopoly board game which also comes in puzzle form.

“We’re all looking forward to the next 12 months, and the summer ahead because it’s usually when you get your overdraft back as a business owner.”

Winning Moves Australia, who produce several limited edition boards each year, said they wanted to highlight the beauty of Australia while supporting those in need.

“The communities chosen have all gone through a tough time for one reason or another and Community Relief Monopoly was designed to remind them how incredible they are, whilst helping inject some positive spirit throughout these towns,” they said.