Businesses, leaders share pain of Shepparton’s eighth lockdown

The cost of being the most locked down region of Country Victoria has had devastating affects on the Goulburn Valley community.

Shepparton’s economy will recover from becoming the most locked-down country Victorian town in the history of the pandemic — but the shocking mental health of its people won’t, leaders say.

Restrictions blanketed the Goulburn Valley community for the eighth time on Friday night.

It was the second lockdown in about two months as the community battles to control its latest Covid cluster of 53 active cases across 30 homes — and counting.

While business leaders say the economy will likely recover, it’s the people who will pay the price.

Thai Orchard restaurant owner Graeme Murphy said he had lost trust in the government that this lockdown would be the last.

He said people were confused and the information from the top had not been clear.

“Customers are coming in to collect their takeaway in tears,” he said.

“Our staff might be the only people they’re talking face to face with for a number of days. People in Shepparton are confused about what’s happening — businesses weren’t given enough time.”

Mr Murphy said his parents and in-laws don’t speak English so it was hard for them to understand what was happening.

“I can understand the need to lockdown but there needs to be a balance and that hasn’t been achieved,” he said.

Mr Murphy said he also worried about the lingering impact of lockdowns even as the community does begin to reopen.

“People ask me where my staff are and I say to them what staff?” he said.

“They have left because they need a consistent source of income and hospitality doesn’t provide that right now.

“I’ve had to have my in-laws in the kitchen to help us get through.”

Committee for Greater Shepparton chief executive Sam Birrell said his community was exhausted and the state government was not paying enough attention to mental health.

He said restrictions were necessary to stop the spread of the virus but the government should consider easing some of them to save people‘s livelihoods.

“I don‘t know what that looks like but people are exhausted,” he said.

Committee for Greater Shepparton chief executive Sam Birrell.

Mr Birrell said not enough focus was on the mental health of people, particularly children.

“These are kids who can‘t see their friends at the moment,” he said.

“We get restrictions are needed to stop the spread of the virus but no one wants people to suffer mental illness because of it (the lockdowns). And there‘s a lot out there at the moment.

“It‘s being dubbed the shadow pandemic … I think a lot more consideration needs to be put into it (the impact it is having on mental health).”

Mr Birrell said the government needed to be clear with its information.

Economically, Mr Birrell said he believed Shepparton would be able to recover.

“We‘ve done it before, we can do it again … there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

“It‘s just incredibly tough at the moment and it’s particularly impossible for the hospitality industry to plan how to run their businesses when they are coming in and out of lockdowns.”

Shepparton residents are again being urged to get tested. Picture: David Crosling

Helen Payne, the owner of F45 Shepparton which has now become a tier one exposure site, said people had “lost their sparkle”.

“Everyone is on edge because you don’t know when you could be thrown back into lockdown,” she said.

“A lot of our members were missing out on classes because of the restrictions.

“The situation becomes worse with each lockdown.”

Even Greater Shepparton City Council mayor Kim O’Keeffe, who has been the smiling face of the lockdowns, said the latest was a blow difficult to carry.

“People are exhausted and want it all to end,” she said.

“I feel for our businesses because it all happened so quickly. We’re a resilient community in Shepparton but people are frightened not just for the present but about what the future holds as well.

“We can’t keep having snap lockdowns because they’re too devastating for communities.”

Member for Northern Victoria.