Moama tourism businesses call for support

Moama Waters part-owner Michele Perry said her business had lost a considerable number of its planned bookings for the period.

“Obviously there is a lot of disappointment out there,” she said.

“It was shaping up to be our best Queen's Birthday and now that has disappeared.”

“People who have booked understand that this is beyond our control and are accepting of why but are naturally still frustrated.

“For our ensuites, we had 78 booked and are down to about 15, and they are regional bookings waiting for Thursday to see if the advice changes.

“In the villas we went from 40 or so to eight. A few of our powered sites are still booked but we've lost a lot there too. We've been gutted.”

Murray River Resorts owner Steve Shipp said his business was in the same boat.

“We've lost maybe 85 per cent of our bookings,” he said.

“I've had to spend the day in the office processing refunds. It's a rough day for a lot of businesses because we've all been through this before unfortunately.”

Shipp said he believed businesses needed to be compensated for their losses.

“Every time these decisions are made it hurts us all a bit more,” he said.

“When the NSW government made their changes on the weekend, they may as well have just shut the bridge.

“No one from Victoria could come in so we lost a weekend of trading, and we are going to lose another one this week.

“We are going into winter with the same expenses as ever, but we have nothing at all.

“So when governments make these decisions that impact us, we need them to support us. We are still struggling from last year. We desperately need compensation for what we have lost.”

The NSW government were contacted for comment regarding the issue.

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