“WE can’t afford another lockdown.”
That was the message from The Collectors Hub in Barham, who opened their business in 2019 but due to lockdowns and border closures, have only been open for eight months.
The Collectors Hub co-owners Jodie-Lee Thomas and Darren Ingwersen said they have struggled to receive financial support due to the length of time their store has been opened, and their lack of staff.
Some of their stallholders volunteer their time in the store.
“This year we received a little bit of help, but it wasn’t enough,” Ms Thomas said.
The business owners have met with Member for Murray Helen Dalton during the MP’s visit to the border town and said Member for Farrer Sussan Ley had also been helping.
“We have some pretty good people on our side,” Ms Thomas said.
However, Ms Thomas and Mr Ingwersen have been ineligible to receive grants and Centrelink assistance to prop up the business.
“Last year they wanted us to prove we had a 30 per cent loss, but we weren’t even open,” Ms Thomas said.
To keep the business going, Ms Thomas works in the store from Monday to Friday, while Mr Ingwersen works as a painter during the week, and in the store on the weekend.
The pair have also put their house deposit into the store to keep it going.
“We’ve put so much time, money, love, blood, sweat and tears in the store,” Ms Thomas said.
On top of that, 90 per cent of their customer base has been from Victoria, and the owners live in Koondrook.
“We had really been struggling with coming over every day and having to have border permits and being greeted by the police,” Ms Thomas said.
“It’s been very challenging, moving up here from Ballarat and then within three months having the virus around.”
Since border permits were removed for border bubble residents, financially, the pair said they were doing “okay, but not as good as it has been”.
Ms Thomas said they just wanted to keep the store open for the community.
“We just want to see more people and see the town go back to what it was when it comes to Christmas time,” she said.
“We want to have that boom for everyone.”
Mr Ingwersen said the store was an important place for the community.
“We’ve got some people who didn’t have anything to do before – now they come in and have a chat,” he said.
Some, like Gary Petersen and his four-year-old Miniature Fox Terrier, Butch, even visit the store every day.
Mr Ingwersen said he believed the business should have been provided with more assistance.
“We’ve gotten nothing from the Victorian side, because we’re in New South Wales, but when Victoria was in lockdown last year, we lost the majority of our market.”
Mr Ingwersen said the business had been smashed by lockdowns on both sides of the border.
“You’re locked down twice as long as anyone else,” he said.*breakout*
DUE to the number of COVID-19 exposure sites, the Collectors Hub owners closed their doors on October 19 until “things settle”.
At the time, Barham had five exposure sites, and three active COVID-19 cases across Barham and Koondrook.
“We are not an exposure site and we do not have COVID-19, but we are just taking precautions,” the store owners said in a Facebook post.
“Thank you stay safe everyone see you in a few days.”
On October 22, they said with the number of cases “still very high” (four in the Murray River Council area), they decided to remain shut until things “settle down”.
“As deep cleaning hub would be near impossible and very costly if we were ever to be a exposure site,” they said.
“We will let everyone know when we will reopen.
“Sorry for inconvenience.
“Stay safe.”
