FRUSTRATION has turned to anger following the implementation of the harshest COVID-19 restrictions yet to hit Mildura, according to the region’s key tourism and development body.
The lockdown order, which came into effect from midnight Friday and is set to last at least until midnight Wednesday, forced the closure of non-essential retail outlets and tourism and accommodation operators amid concern the latest restrictions would be the last straw for some.
While some Mildura retailers defied the bans at the weekend, risking a $10,000 fine, most closed their doors in compliance with the orders.
There were few visitors to the retail precincts in the City Heart and Fifteenth Street on what would otherwise have been a busy weekend, including Valentine’s Day yesterday.
The Victorian Government introduced the stage 4 restrictions across Victoria for the first time, meaning Sunraysia residents could leave home only for shopping for food and supplies within 5km of home, or as close to home as possible; exercise for a maximum two hours a day; care and caregiving; and work, if impossible from home. Masks were also made mandatory indoors and outdoors.
Local cafes and restaurants that had been booked out for Valentine’s Day celebrations were forced to resort to takeaway only, while several weddings were fast-tracked to Friday evening in order to beat the midnight implementation of the new restrictions.
Mildura Regional Development chief executive Brett Millington said local business owners were angered that regional Victoria was again grouped with metropolitan Melbourne under the harsh restrictions.
“There was a fair bit of sentiment about it being snapped on to people and they felt that perhaps they could have considered leaving regional Victoria in the way that other lockdowns such as Perth and Sydney have, where it was more locality-based,” Mr Millington said.
“It’s certainly another hit that will have more of an exacerbating effect, given the past 12 months.
Mr Millington said forward bookings — particularly over the Valentine’s Day weekend — had been “pretty significant” and he hoped regional Victoria, at least, would be spared an extension of the five-day hard lockdown.
“We still don’t know that in five days’ time anything will change,” he said.
“If there is a need for further restrictions, I believe they would have consideration for regional areas being separate from metropolitan Melbourne.
“They were concerned that if they only imposed restrictions on Melbourne there would have been a mass migration to regional areas.
“But what this five-day period does will give them a capability to get any sort of checkpoints or otherwise established around Melbourne if they are going to continue (the lockdown), but it will be interesting to see how that plays out.”
The National Retail Association (NRA) said the five-day lockdown would be a crushing blow to the state’s retailers.
NRA chief executive Dominique Lamb said it was a case of “groundhog day” for Victorian retailers.
“Although this lockdown is only due to last five days, that can still have a massive disruption on a business,” Mr Lamb said.
