NEVER before have local businesses needed so much the support of the Mildura community.
Snap lockdowns because of the pandemic have cost traders in this region significantly and put huge financial strain on them.
State and Federal Government support packages have helped a little, but for some it is not enough.
It is why it frustrates me so much as the councillor who holds the portfolio for economic development to see so much money being spent online, outside the region.
People may ask how I know this. I do thanks to Spendmapp, which is a resource available to local government to track transactions in local government areas.
The app is a sophisticated piece of software that provides accurate information and can identify the location where money is being spent on credit and debit cards in or out of the region.
Of course, while there is a cash economy running parallel, it can never be precise, but it does give us a good idea of expenditure.
This resource can tell what dollars were spent in Mildura by Mildura Rural City Council residents or non-residents, and how much residents spent outside.
For example, it can tell how much people living in the Gol Gol postcode spent in Mildura, or how much Mildura residents spend in Gol Gol.
The point is people living in postcodes scattered across this region spent $242 million in the past financial year, $150 million outside the municipality, on things such as travel and holidays and a staggering $300 million-plus online.
No doubt some of those online purchases were here, but we know the majority was spent elsewhere to obtain goods and services.
What keeps nagging at me is: what if we tried, in these particularly tough times, to see whether we could redirect some of that expenditure towards local goods and services?
Can we, or at least those who will be able to afford it, plan our Christmas shopping so that we can seek local opportunities to spend money?
Or can we ask a local business to provide a quote for something that’s online, but not stocked in its retail outlet here.
What is wrong with a little bit of argy-bargy on price, or maybe considering buying gifts available locally, instead of searching the internet for things?
More than ever, particularly with the festive season fast approaching, local business needs the community to rally behind it.
I constantly hear people complaining about all the empty retail shops. Let’s stop complaining and do something about it.
There is no cavalry coming, no magic bullet – we just need to stick our hand in our pocket and spend local.
