IT has been a frustrating week.
On Saturday afternoon, the Premier announced we were moving back into lockdown. The number of people allowed to visit our homes was cut back to five. Public gatherings reduced to 10.
The much-anticipated relaxing of restrictions on pubs, cafes and restaurants was deferred. Pubs were allowed to serve drinks without food, but it was cold comfort in the light of the other announcements.
Of all the pain and sacrifice that our communities have felt through the COVID-19 crisis, none has been worse than for the hospitality industry.
There’s no such thing as working from home if you are a barista, a chef or a waiter. And in such a casualised industry, not everyone was entitled to JobKeeper payments.
Following the announcement on June 9 that Victoria had recorded its first day of zero new cases, I called on the government and Chief Health Officer to consider a tailored approach to reopening for electorates whose cases had been consistently low and stable since the lockdown began.
As part of our advocacy, this week we travelled to the southern Mallee to meet hotel and pub owners to help build the case.
One of the most powerful perspectives came from Bryce Harriman, proprietor of the Patchewollock Pub.
The Patche pub was built in the 1940s and services a farming community of about 200 people.
The pub is not just an entertainment facility. It’s an essential service. For more than 70 years, it has kept local people connected in good times and bad. In times of drought or personal hardship, it has literally been a life-saver.
But right now, it’s the pub whose survival is on the brink. The easing of restrictions that was due to take place on June 22 was to be its lifeline. But after the Premier’s announcement on Saturday, it’s panic stations.
Bryce said if the Patche Pub was to close, it would be permanent. The chances of reviving a business in such a small town are extraordinarily low, and the row of empty boarded-up shops on the main street attests to this reality.
If there was a safe way for our pubs to reopen – as the Premier and Chief Health Officer hinted on Saturday – it needs to happen now.
Ali Cupper is the Member for Mildura
