Coolangatta businesses ‘devastated’ as customers disappear amid Tweed’s snap lockdown
Border businesses have been left in despair as the reality of losing Tweed customers for the second time in weeks starts to sink in. HOW THEY ARE COPING
Gold Coast
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A GOLD Coast hairdresser whose calendar was booked almost a month in advance just days ago is now busy fielding calls amid a torrent of cancellations from clients locked out of the state.
Coolangatta Hair Boutique owner Kelli Trouchet is again looking down the barrel of at least another week making minimal revenue amid Tweed’s snap seven-day lockdown – but she’s unsure how much longer her business can survive.
Ms Trouchet said the moment she learned about Tuesday’s decision to lock down Tweed from 5pm she was forced to step away from a client to compose herself.
“We’re losing 85 per cent of our clientele that live in Tweed, there’s heaps of cancellations. I’ve spoke to nearly every hairdresser in the street today and it’s the same for them.”
She expects her business to be “significantly impacted” and fears an extended lockdown – as a result of a reality TV crew member allegedly breaching public health orders – is imminent.
“It upset me a fair bit, we have one of our staff over the border and we’d only had her back for five days. We’re juggling an extra column, it’s stressful for her too,” Ms Trouchet said.
Linda Harward of Coolangatta Clothing Alterations said foot traffic had virtually disappeared soon after news broke of the snap lockdown and then border bubble axing.
“It’s very quiet, it turned quiet almost immediately. It was a bit upsetting because I don’t think they should have locked down Tweed,” she said, adding 75 per cent of her customers were Tweed-based.
“My business will be hurt; I’ve got a lot of orders waiting to be picked up and that can’t happen now either. I’m not eligible for government support so I’m really worried.”
While the Glitter Strip’s southern end is usually teeming with holiday-goers this time of year, streets remain near empty and a sense of devastation and uncertainty loom.
Sandy Crab Toy Store co-owner Kate McGuinn said school holidays usually proved to be one of the year-old shop’s busiest periods: “(Lockdown) yet again has devastating consequences for our local community,” Mrs McGuinn said. “We feel sad and frustrated one person can ruin livelihoods of so many.
“I can’t comprehend the impact this person has made on our community. Its school holidays, there was a spark in the air, now we all feel downtrodden.”
Greater Southern Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce Hilary Jacobs slammed the “double standards” of what was deemed an essential worker in the wake of the TV show crew member’s breach.
The latest border restrictions permit “limited essential workers” to enter Queensland.
“At one end of the scale we have definitions being issued on both side of the border for so called ‘essential’ work including professional sporting wives and family, TV crews, movie makers and other celebrity workers and hangers on,” Ms Jacobs said.
“Then at the other end of the scale we are seeing the Essential Worker border definition again today of ‘Essential’ which has now reverted to, in essence, anyone who Queensland can’t replace by someone from Queensland.
“We should not be in this situation because the states of all colours are putting TV companies, professional sporting clubs and other celebrity requests, all aimed at maintaining their profits and celebrity lifestyles, above the needs of the everyday ‘real’ people of Australia.”
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