Regional Victoria reacts to new coronavirus restrictions
The lockdown caught regional Victorians well and truly by surprise with widespread devastation as weddings are brought forward or rescheduled, weekend escapes abandoned and local businesses left scrambling.
Bendigo
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Regional Victorians are frustrated at being included in the state’s five-day lockdown, with some businesses “devastated”.
But the regions rallied as country pubs planned Friday night “Lockdown Eve” celebrations, while others advertised discounts to clear stock.
Weekend weddings were brought forward a day, with caterers franticly preparing food.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews explained that with a five-day lockdown, there wasn‘t enough time to set up a ring of steel.
He said the government didn‘t want to lockdown Melbourne, only to later find out the virus had already moved into regional areas.
“I know this will be difficult, I know it will will be painful, but there is no other option,” he told regional Victorians.
MILDURA
A wedding venue near Mildura has burst into action after a snap decision was made to reschedule a wedding intended for Saturday to Friday night.
Willow & Ivie owner Leah Baynes said new music had been organised and a photographer that was meant to come from Melbourne replaced.
She was confident everything will be in place on time.
“That’s what we do, we’ll make it happen and it’ll be a great night,” she said.
The Nichols Point venue had also been booked out for Valentine’s Day but that business would be lost.
There was uncertainty about the next wedding booked for Thursday.
“We’re just shattered, we’re devastated – I don’t even have words to be honest,” Ms Baynes said.
Mildura’s Sandbar Pub has advertised half-price food on Friday night to “help us clear our kitchen fridges”.
Neans Florist owner Jannine Fox didn’t think lockdown would impact Valentine’s Day sales.
“We will deliver the flowers and mask up and people can ring the doorbell and flowers can be left at the door,” Ms Fox said.
State Member for Mildura Ali Cupper said she felt the frustration of her community.
“The level of severity of these restrictions is something we have not experienced before and it will turn people’s lives upside down,” Ms Cupper said.
“It’s incredibly disruptive and inconvenient and it will be a pretty tough few days.”
Federal Member for Mallee Anne Webster said border communities wanted respect for the way they have behaved, noting Mildura was 550km from Melbourne.
“Why is it that we can’t have a reasoned, nuanced, proportionate response like New South Wales or Queensland,” Dr Webster said.
BENDIGO
Kangaroo Flat university student Nick Newland said it was disappointing that one of his first in-person classes for the new year would be scrapped.
“But you gotta do what you gotta do,” the IT student said.
He said it was a necessary evil for the regions to be locked down alongside Melbourne.
“Everyone travels from Melbourne so there’s too much cross contamination,” Mr Newland said.
Mr Newland said last year there was a lot of fear in the community that Melburnians would bring the virus into Bendigo.
“People are generally pretty stupid,” he said.
Chamber of Commerce Be Bendigo CEO Dennis Bice said he expected many appeals for help from Bendigo region businesses over the coming days.
“Everything has been thrown into chaos,” Mr Bice said.
“It’s a challenge we’re used to.”
He said the restaurants and wedding venues preparing for Sunday would be some of the hardest hit by the five day lockdown.
There were plenty of disappointing d cancellations for Borchelli Ristorante at the heart of Bendigo’s dining district.
Owner Sharon Lock said there was a rush of romantics trying to move their Sunday dinner plans to Friday.
“Everyone is trying to get in,” Ms Lock said.
She said there were more than 120 customers booked for Sunday, which would have been a bonus for her business.
“It’s a big night for us,” she said.
“But it is what it is. This is the new normal, we just need to get used to it.”
Ms Lock said most businesses had a COVID safe plan to operate under the new restrictions.
“We’ve all been through the stressful part at the start of all this,” she said.
“And the customers are so understanding.”
Ms Lock said most people who called to cancel said they would be calling for a takeaway service for Valentine’s Day.
She said many were also just choosing to “change the date” and have their romantic dinner on a “new Valentine’s Day” on Sunday February 21.
Melbourne resident Peter Robinson said he and his wife had just arrived in Bendigo for a weekend away to celebrate her birthday.
Now Mr Robinson they were preparing to make the 150km journey back home.
“I’m not sure it will be finished in five days,” he said.
“We were in lockdown for three months before.”
Mr Robinson said this was just one of many cancelled holidays.
“You can stay within the state and travel local and still get caught out,” he said.
“These borders can close within hours.”
Mr Robinson said the regions were caught off guard by the announcement, unlike Melburnians who were expecting new restrictions.
“It’s much harder on country folk, they weren’t expecting this at all,” he said.
“People in Bendigo are going ‘big surprise’.”
WODONGA
Wodonga residents on the streets on Friday were openly outraged at being plunged into stage 4 lockdown alongside Melburnians, while the region hasn’t recorded a case for 195 days.
While NSW residents who have been to Victoria from Friday, January 29, will also have to participate in a five-day lockdown as part of a NSW Health directive, NSW border bubble residents will not be affected, according to State Member for Albury Justin Clancy.
Mr Clancy said he had spoken with the NSW Premier and Health Minister and the government would be mindful of the impact on border communities.
“Border communities, as defined by the last NSW map from the last border closure, won‘t be affected by any public health order coming in that reflects the upcoming five days,” he said.
Wodonga resident Chloe Beck said regional Victoria shouldn’t be in stage 4 lockdown.
“I think they should have just locked down Melbourne,” Ms Beck said.
“We had stage 2 while Melbourne was in stage 3 last time, so I don’t understand why we’ve gone back to stage 4.
“If it’s five days it’s okay, but if it’s more than that it’ll be frustrating.”
Ms Beck said she was very concerned the borders would be shut again.
“We’re just waiting until the border closes again and businesses close,” she said.
“We’re just worried about work now and what’s going to happen with that.
“I work in Albury and it relies on me going into schools, and now schools have closed in Victoria I’m not sure if they’ll allow external visitors over the border.
“I feel like there’s a bit of a political showdown between Gladys and Dan, and as soon as they can get one up on the other they close it down again.
Another Wodonga resident Elizabeth Richardson said the lockdown would lead to unnecessary cancellations.
“My husband is booked in for hernia surgery on Monday, I think that will be cancelled,” she said.
“He’s was booked in a month ago and it was cancelled due staffing issues, and he was booked in again on Monday, so it’s quite a nervey time.
“And my grandson‘s 11th birthday party was supposed to be on Sunday, and that’s had to be cancelled.
“He was booked in for a party with 14 of his friends.”
Victorian residents wanting to enter NSW must also fill out a declaration form.
BASS COAST
Checkout queues at Wonthaggi Coles were stretched to the back of the store on Friday afternoon.
Customers were snapping up essentials like pasta, bread, water and toilet paper although there was a healthy stockpile.
Marion McVicker said she went to Coles to do her usual shop and couldn’t believe the lines.
“It’s ridiculous,” she said.
“Everyone is just panic-buying since Daniel Andrews made the announcement.”
Another customer said the queues “couldn’t be helped”.
Woolworths was just as busy with customers snaking back to the dairy aisle.
Some had been in line for more than 20 minutes.
Lime & Co owners Marcus and Nikya Toomey said they were devastated about Victoria going into a five-day lockdown.
The mexican cantina had planned to cater a wedding on Saturday which was brought forward to Friday.
They had only two hours to cook and prepare the food in their Inverloch store.
“It’s crazy hectic,” they said.
“It’s hard to plan a business and events with so many uncertainties.”
Venues across the Bass Coast are going ahead with planned events on Friday.
Inverloch’s Inlet Hotel have live music up until restrictions kick in.
They are labelling the event as the ‘Lockdown Eve Last Hurrah’.
The Westernport-Hotel will also continue to entertain, with live music from 8:30pm with bistro hours extended until 10pm.
The San Remo hotel said it’s the “only way to go into lockdown”.
BALLARAT
Events such as the Rockabilly Festival were called off hours before they were scheduled to start.
Sam Rowe, co-owner of the Hydrant Food Hall, said this weekend his business would probably lose at least $10,000 because of the snap announcement.
“It was shaping up to be a very busy week for us...we didn’t see it coming, I was like are you f——g serious?” he said.
“It’s shocking, especially for regionals...for us in Ballarat or in Mildura, I would have thought they’d bring back the ring of steel as a temporary measure, it’s pretty devastating.”
The Provincial Ballarat owner Simon Coghlan said the phone was ringing off the hook with staff scrambling to rearrange hundreds of bookings for the hotel and restaurant.
“We’re under the pump, it’s an absolute disaster, so we’re just doing our best to keep our head above the water at the moment,” he said.
Tensions boiled over at the shops in Ballarat on Friday too, with one man having to be restrained by shocked bystanders after lashing out and attacking shoppers in a supermarket queue.
The fight broke out at the Woolworths store in Delacombe.
A security guard said the man became “overwhelmed” by the long lines and crowds before punching a number of people while waiting in a queue to exit the shop.
A woman was injured.
At other Woolworths and Coles stores across the city, customers were filling trolleys with toilet paper and other essentials in a mad rush following the announcement.
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