DEAR News Of The Area,
ACROSS regional Australia, business owners are voicing the same concern.
Times remain tough.
Despite growth in our population, many businesses are still struggling.
Poor weather, global unrest, uncertain economic conditions, the relentless invasion of online shopping and the unyielding negativity of media are all factors making it harder for local businesses to thrive.
But here is the paradox.
How, in a region that is clearly growing, do we still have businesses doing it tough?
The answer is that growth alone does not guarantee prosperity.
If residents are spending their dollars online or are conserving their spending, the benefit to our local businesses is lost.
The result is local business owners shouldering the pressure, watching the numbers rise around them while their own returns remain flat.
Small town businesses are more than economic drivers.
They employ us, sponsor community groups and help give our towns their character.
Losing them is not simply an economic cost but a cultural one.
Their survival cannot be left to chance.
Consumers hold enormous power.
Every time we make a choice, whether to shop online or to spend locally, we are casting a vote for the kind of town we want to live in.
Do we want vibrant streets filled with thriving businesses, or empty shopfronts that remind us of opportunities lost?
This is not about nostalgia.
It is about survival.
Local businesses will not endure by standing still and neither will our communities.
Now is the time for fresh thinking, for councils and governments to cut red tape, and for communities to rally behind those who support them.
This is where we need to be honest with ourselves.
Too many are waiting for things to improve on their own.
But if we sit back, we risk watching doors close.
Business owners must continue to fight for local.
If you do not like how the table is set, then change it.
It is easy to say “I have too much on my plate, someone else should do it” but is that really fair?
Every one of us has a role to play in shaping the future of our towns.
The extinction of local business is not inevitable, but it is a real risk if we do not act.
If we want a future where our communities remain strong, connected and alive, then the responsibility is clear.
Support local. Stand up. Be part of the change.
Regards,
Luke HADFIELD,
President,
Camden Haven Chamber of Commerce.
You can help your local paper.
Make a small once-off, or (if you can) a regular donation.
We are an independent family owned business and our newspapers are free to collect and our news stories are free online.
Help support us into the future.
