Bushfires: economic blow adding insult to injury for towns

Victorian inland tourist towns face not only the immediate threat of spreading fires, but a longer-term hit to their economies.

Camping grounds and local shops are closed due the evacuation in Bright, Victoria. Picture: Tony Gough

Victorian inland tourist towns face not only the immediate threat of spreading fires amid worsening weekend conditions, but a longer-term hit to their economies as holidaymakers heed authorities’ warnings and flee.

The picturesque town of Bright in the foothills of the Australian alps and summer cycling and adventure sport mecca Mount Hotham are all but deserted, with business owners saying it will take some time to win back tourists’ trust and custom.

“About 90 per cent of the shops and businesses are already shut here in Bright, half the business owners themselves have left and there is just no business going on,” said Brendon Dean, owner of the Cyclepath bike shop in Bright.

“We have lots of bookings for hire bikes but they haven’t turned up. This will be a significant financial hit to us for weeks to come whether the fires come or not,” Mr Dean said. “January is one of our big times of the year, and we rely on it to get through the winter.”

Mr Dean said he was one of the 1000 people who attended the community meeting in Bright on Thursday evening, and despite the impact on his business he was pleased the messaging to both holidaymakers and local residents had been blunt. “One of my employees went to the meeting, and straight after it finished he got in his car and drove straight to Melbourne. My own family left as well on (Friday) to go to a hotel in ­Wodonga, and I’ll be leaving to join them early Saturday.

“I’ve stayed on the four previous occasions there have been fire warnings, but I’m going this time. It feels like this situation might be different, and firefighting resources are more stretched across the state,” Mr Dean said.

Down the road at the Bright Pharmacy, chemist Jonathan Hurst has made the decision to stay at the weekend to run an emergency medication service for those who remain in the town.

“I’m going to stay all weekend. I’m the local chemist, I’ve been here 15 years and I have a sense I owe it to the community to be available,” Mr Hurst said. “Those who do stay may well need me.”

Mr Hurst said the pharmacy had been extremely busy as people sought to fill prescriptions ahead of leaving town, but it would close for the weekend except for ­emergencies.

He and his family were not going to stay in their property on the outskirts of town as it was too difficult to defend, and would rely on friends to accommodate them.

“Their home is very close to the local football oval, which is where we’ve been told to go as a place of last resort,” he said.