Melbourne traders blame Andrews for ghost town

Melbourne’s inner city was barely recovering after the first lockdown restrictions were lifted. Now it is a ghost town with many traders closed and others struggling to survive and anger is growing towards Premier Daniel Andrews as many fear for the future.

Frustration is growing among Melburnians as the city remains empty. Picture: David Crosling

Fury and frustration have boiled over with businesses savaging Premier Daniel Andrews for his government’s virus failures as they brace for more pain during Melbourne’s second lockdown.

The inner city, which was barely recovering after initial lockdown restrictions were lifted, remains a ghost town with many traders closed and others struggling to survive.

Chapel St Precinct president Justin O’Donnell lashed out at Mr Andrews, demanding he resign for botching management of the pandemic.

“Daniel Andrews must announce significant financial support to all Melbourne businesses so as many as possible can make it through, and this must be done today,” he said.

“Once he has done this, the only right thing left for him to do is resign as he has monumentally failed his state and has lost all trust.”

The inner city, which was barely recovering after first lockdown restrictions were lifted, remains a ghost town. Picture: David Crosling

Many DeGraves St traders are closed and others are struggling to survive. Picture: David Crosling

The second lockdown has left the city deserted. Picture: Getty Images

Mr O’Donnell said the $5000 state grant for businesses forced into lockdown again was too little, too late.

“Most businesses have burnt through their reserves to make it through the first lockdown, and any money they did have left over often was invested in the most recent reopening,” he said.

Precinct general manager Chrissie Maus said it was “a crying shame” that businesses were suffering through a second lockdown, despite having strong hygiene and social-­distancing practices.

“We are pleading to the government that when we do reopen, businesses that observe strict protocols should be allowed to open first,” she said.

Asked about growing frustration at the state government, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday that it would not be “terribly helpful” to comment.

“I can understand that many, many people in Victoria will be feeling very frustrated at the moment, and many are very angry and I’m aware of where they’re directing that frustration and anger,” he said.

“But it won’t help the situation if I were to engage in any of that.”

Mr Morrison said that while other states had “problems”, they were “admittedly not as significant” as in Victoria.

Grant Cohen, who runs the Block Arcade in Collins St, said the CBD was deserted.

“Australia’s greatest city is a ghost town yet again due to the incompetency of our Premier – a thriving metropolis has been reduced to this,” he said.

Mr Cohen said Mr Andrews had confused people by sending mixed messages.

“Suburban shopping centres have been in full swing with business as usual, but at the same time Mr Andrews was saying ‘Keep away from the city, you’ll cop a fine if you don’t need to go in’,” he said.

“People’s livelihoods in retail and hospitality have been directly affected by his stance on not wanting people to come in to the CBD.”

“For the Premier to suggest that we all have to take responsibility makes the skin crawl, because the problem was his irresponsibility in mismanaging hotel quarantine and the security firms,” he said.

Chapel Street shopping district has been hard-hit by the lockdowns. Picture: Getty Images

Premier Daniel on Thursday flagged more support for business. Picture: Getty Images

Frustration is growing among Melburnians as the city remains empty. Picture: David Crosling

Greg Kahan, owner of CBD restaurant The George, said the hospitality sector needed more compensation as businesses returned to a takeaway-only service. “Everyone is just feeling it, the second lockdown is so hard,” he said.

“It’s bleak, there was a bit of life that came back to the city a few weeks ago but it’s completely empty now.”

Mr Kahan said the federal government needed to finetune the JobKeeper program, as not all staff were eligible for payments.

Anger followed the Premier’s comments blaming Victorians for the crisis, with former Western Bulldogs player Paul Dimattina, who owns Lamaro’s Hotel in South Melbourne, saying he should resign.

“I was outraged when Daniel Andrews pointed the finger at all Victorians and not himself,” Mr Dimattina told the Herald Sun on Tuesday.

Mr Dimattina has written a column, published in Friday’s Herald Sun.

Mr Andrews on Thursday flagged more support for business, saying it would be announced prior to the federal government’s financial package unveiled on July 23.

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Originally published as Melbourne traders blame Andrews for ghost town