South Coast flooding: Sussex Inlet Marine Centre, other businesses reveal impact
Business owners across the South Coast have been hammered this year, with bushfires, COVID-19 and now floodwaters destroying their livelihoods.
The South Coast News
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A Sussex Inlet business owner whose tackle and boat hire shop was inundated by floodwaters says he’s contemplating putting his business on the market.
Sussex Inlet Marine Centre owner Richard Green said the overnight flooding of his business has destroyed all his stock. The business is at the end of Jacobs Drive, adjacent to the Sussex Inlet RSL Club.
Apart from the tourist and fishing offerings, the business offers the only on-water fuel bowser in the St Georges Basin area. Inside the boat shed, water was still flowing around the push bikes for hire and his fridges on Tuesday morning.
Mr Green, who wore a smile on his face as he assessed the damage, says he is insured, but he was not sure whether he will see any money. The loss could be insurmountable for the business owner.
“It’s the last straw for this year,” he says. “We’ve lost everything, bait, ice creams, drinks. It’s all gone. It’s just too much, too much now. We can put up with so much but this will be the final straw.
“I’ve had it, my back’s killing me. Pack it in, put the for sale sign on.”
Bushfires, a pandemic and flooding has taken its toll on the bait and tackle shop owner.
A busy July school holiday period offered some relief, but there “was still a long way to go”.
“We lost Christmas, we lost Easter. That’s our payday for the year,” he said.
The St Georges Basin area received more than 200mm up to 9am on Tuesday. Homes and cars in the small town of Sanctuary Point were partially underwater by 5pm yesterday, with flooding worsening as the river peaked at 1.1 metres overnight.
Young children, mums and elderly residents were rescued from flooding homes by caring locals on Monday afternoon, with a group of men using a small boat to get them to safety.
Sussex Inlet residents remained on high alert after flash flooding and heavy rain smashed the South Coast on Monday afternoon and in to the night, with water levels stabilising in the worst-hit streets on Tuesday morning.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, 225mm of rain had fallen over the Jervis Bay area by 9am on Tuesday.
Overnight, 20 homes were evacuated by SES volunteers as floodwaters peaked at Sussex Inlet around 1am.