The Northern Rivers Times Edition 20

Page 1

Edition 20/2020

November 19, 2020

NorthernRiversTimes

Ph: 1300 679 787

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WEDDING COVID CRUNCH CONTINUES FOR BUSINESS By Alexis Galloway

A DEVASTATING loss of $28,000 in the first two weeks of COVID-19 lock down in the Northern Rivers was the beginning of a year business owner Renee Campbell would ‘prefer to to forget’. The financial burden has continued with the wedding planners initial 48 weddings booked for 2020, reduced to a staggering one – so far. “When lockdown happened, the overheads continued to come out but because I refunded most of the deposits from my clients, I had nothing coming in. I needed to continue payments for my insurances, the Help Me Hitch website and emails, because otherwise I would lose potential clients. “Then as the virus got worse, I unfortunately had a lot of weddings on the boarder of Queensland and NSW cancel. These weddings attract a lot of clients from Sydney/Brisbane/ Gold Coast. The guests would come on Friday, with the wedding on Saturday and then head home on Sunday – but it just couldn’t happen anymore. “As of now, my total loss is around $60,000 to $70,000 and I’ll be in the red well until a few weddings into 2021,” Ms Campbell said. The local mum-of-one who has been in the wedding

Photo: Luke Middlemiss Photography industry since 2011 said she didn’t see the bulk of the wedding industry picking up fully for over a year. “It’s still sluggish and I think anyone who is in engaged at the start of this year will probably wait until 2022. A lot people have wiped 2020 now. “I have 32 weddings booked so far for next year and some clients have already called to say they just don’t know if they will go ahead.

“There is now a huge fear around planning your wedding combined with the financial investment involved in a wedding and the uncertainty of the restrictions changing,” Ms Campbell said. The economic recovery In a bid to salvage and improve the Australian economy safely, from December 1st, 300 people will be able to attend weddings in NSW – subject

Please see my contact details below:

Authorised by K Hogan MP, National Party of Australia - NSW, 63 Molesworth Street, Lismore NSW 2480

to the four-square metre rule indoors and two-square metre rule outdoors. Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the changes in restrictions were another important step to economic recovery. “We continue to remain focused on stimulating the economy, keeping businesses in business and people in jobs. “The easing of restrictions and safely increasing capacities will lead directly to more

jobs and more opportunities for businesses across NSW, which is integral for the State’s recovery,’ Mr Perrottet said. Minister for Health Brad Hazzard said lower case numbers were a good sign, but we are by no means out of the woods. • There were 56,124 wedding businesses operating nationally, with the majority based in NSW.


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