The city's peak business body has voiced its concerns about the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic after the federal government's ban on mass gatherings forced the cancellation of countless upcoming events.
Create a free account to read this article
or signup to continue reading
On Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that all non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people should be suspended to stop the spread of the deadly respiratory virus, which has claimed more than 7,000 lives since it was first reported last December.
The announcement came just days before the number of cases in WA surged to 31, with WA Health Minister Roger Cook confirming that Bunbury would receive a designated COVID-19 clinic by the end of the week.
Already, community groups, sporting clubs and local businesses are feeling the impacts, with some of the city's biggest annual events having been cancelled.
Bunbury Geographe Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive officer Mark Seaward confirmed that the business community was "very nervous" about the situation, with several businesses having had their books cleared for the next six months.
"We can expect this to continue for two to three months and the impact is huge, and not just on the economy and local business," he said.
"Whatever people can do to support local, they should - it has never been more critical."
On Monday, Bunbury RSL president John Gelmi told the Mail it had cancelled all ANZAC Day commemorations in the interests of Veterans' health, stating the risk was simply "too great".
Melanoma WA South West was forced to cancel the ninth annual Melanoma March and the City of Bunbury postponed the Relay for Life until 2021.
Groovin' the Moo organisers confirmed the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic had made it "impossible" to host the event this year, which was anticipated to draw thousands of festival-goers and provide a significant boost to the Bunbury economy.
This year's Harvey Agricultural Show and Rotary Science and Engineering Challenge/Discovery Days events have also been cancelled.
"It's very disappointing - a lot of effort goes into the preparation and planning of all these events," Rotary Club of Bunbury Leschenault Rotarian Steve Woodhouse said.
