Toowoomba businesses struggle as Covid fears keep people away from CBD

There’s no lockdown in Toowoomba but with the city’s streets all but empty many businesses are struggling as Covid fears keep people away.

With the streets bare and shops empty, Toowoomba’s CBD is resembling a ghost town as the city suffers through a Claytons lockdown: the lockdown you have when you’re not having a lockdown.

Many businesses have reported a sluggish start to 2022, and as case numbers continue to rise in the Garden City, the impact of people staying away from the CBD and working from home has been felt hard.

CBD cafe Copper Bench has long been reliant on its loyal regulars who work in offices such as Heritage Bank, but in the past two weeks owner Tenzin Norbu said their trade had dropped by about half.

“The kitchen has been closing about 1.30pm in the past week, but I think we’re going to have to close the whole store at that time too,” he said.

“I still want to give hours to our staff, they’ve got bills to pay, but it’s difficult.

“We’ve had to cut hours, and I can’t tell at this time if we’re making money or losing money.”

Tenzin Norbu from the Copper Bench is finding business slow in Ruthven St. Friday, January 14, 2022. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Mr Norbu said with many office workers now working from home as the Covid outbreak in Toowoomba grew, his business had struggled.

“I am here every day, I know the regulars and they told me they’re working from home,” he said.

“Their employers are big organisations, and they don’t want their staff getting sick and having to isolate.

“Sunday morning is usually one of our biggest trading days, and last week at 9.30am we had two tables when normally it’s full.”

Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Rohl said Mr Norbu’s case wasn’t isolated, with many other businesses feeling the same pressure.

“Our members in retail, hospitality, tourism, agriculture sectors are all reporting significant business downturn, much worse than Covid 2020,” he said.

“Our members are pointing to the lack of access to testing, confusing mandate requirements, and the lack of clear and consistent messages as having a direct impact on business sustainability.

“The continuing mix signals, political finger pointing and what seems like no real plan to weather the current Omicron variant has had a dramatic impact on local businesses.

“The potential loss of businesses, homes, jobs and people’s livelihoods is real and causing our members great stress and mental unwellness.”

While school holidays would normally see people turned away from an at-capacity Chipmunks Toowoomba, this time it’s the complete opposite.

Owners Lisa and Ian Bethune said their walk-in trade had plummeted by 90 per cent over the past two weeks.

“Normally the phone would be ringing off the hook this time of year, and we have to tell people they need to book a weekend six weeks in advance; now they could call up and get a booking straight away,” Mrs Bethune said.

“This is usually the busiest time of the year for Chipmunks, but at the moment we’re not even trading what we normally would on a weekday.

“It’s really knocked us out of the park.”

Mrs Bethune said the downturn in business came after the business had experienced a resurgence in the months leading up to Christmas.

“When we had restrictions on numbers we were turning people away for months, but now it’s completely turned around again,” she said.

Businesses in the Toowoomba CBD aren’t the only ones feeling the pinch.

Highfields cafe Savour this Eatery owner Paul Hallam said after a few days of strong trade following a break over Christmas, their business had also experienced a noticeable decline.

“We opened again on Tuesday (last week), and by Friday we started to see a downturn in numbers,” he said.

“On Sunday we did about 50 per cent of what we normally would do, and all this week it continued just as it ended.

“I’d say the past week our business was down about 70 per cent of what it normally would be.

“We are still seeing people come in for breakfast and lunch, but they’re leaving as soon as they’re done. What we’re not seeing are those social groups that are coming in for coffee or cake.”

Paul Hallam and Samantha Carmichael of Savour This Eatery. Wednesday, September 1, 2021. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Situated on the New England Highway, Mr Hallam said even the road was quieter than usual.

“I think people are scared now that there are more cases out there, and they don’t want to catch Covid or be forced into isolation because of it,” he said.

“My wife and I are in a similar position, we’ve stopped going out as much as we can’t afford to be a close contact or catch Covid as that would mean we would have to shut our business.

“I think people are being cautious because there are cases out there, and that’s understandable.”

The Darling Downs health area recorded 201 active cases as of Thursday at 7pm, a drop of one from the previous day.

There are now 100 people in active quarantine across the region.

It comes a day after the Darling Downs reported its first Covid-19 victim since the start of the pandemic.

Another three people died across Queensland on Thursday, bringing the state’s death toll to 20.

Chief health officer John Gerrard said two of the deaths were people in their 70s while another was in their 60s.

None were vaccinated.

There are now 589 people being treated in hospital which includes 41 patients in ICU, with 15 on ventilators.

Dr Gerrard suggested the peak of the Omicron wave would be reached once the number of hospitalisations started to stabilise.