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Following our special coverage on 18 December looking at small businesses in Parkes and the impacts of empty shops in our CBD, we turned to residents on social media and asked them what they thought about the issue, and what could be done to better support or attract small businesses.
Here's what some had to say:
Better to cut the rent and have a business in your property than sitting empty - Janice Corcoran.
Wouldn't a reduced rent be better than none? It might encourage new businesses - Joyful Anne.
We need businesses in the main street, not the industrial estate - Sharon Henry.
Maintain the main street maybe. Replace the speakers that scream chitters with music behind it, replace the awnings rather than have scaffolding holding them up, take down the 30 year old business signs - Dylan Anderson.
Rates!!! $12,000 a year for most shops on the main street plus then you have your rent, insurance, stock, wages etc all on top. It's not an easy decision to make opening up a new business in Parkes. There are so many creative and motivated people living among us that have a product or service to offer but these obstacles outweigh the reward - Dimity Ross.
House rents as well are out of control, as well the mine is the only thing that stopped Parkes from turning into a ghost 30 odd years ago - Gary Nelson.
Shop local. It's pretty easy. Support local businesses or they can't afford to stay open - Judy Chambers.
I have been in Parkes nearly 40 years, every time I would ask a business to get something in for me it was too much trouble. So l gave up and went to Orange or Dubbo - Margaret Sharp.
People just don’t have the extra money to $90-$150-plus on one item in clothing in boutiques in town and for going to our Big W forget it, as not much in there to choose from, that’s why I shop out of town or online these days as l get more variety to choose from - Roxanne Miller.
READ MORE:
Last shop standing amid seven others
Council to bring life back to empty shops
Educate people to stop buying online. It is currently the most damaging thing to small businesses. While they think it is fine to call into shops to get fitted up for sizes or to take photos of products to compare prices, they are doing no justice to our community - David Reilly.
The bypass definitely hasn’t helped, Forbes’ and Peak Hill should appreciate it - Andy Townsend.
Trucks don’t spend money in the town. It was like this long before the bypass - Jennifer Barnes.
Too easy to order any number of things on the internet and have it delivered within a few days - Andrew Holman.
Biggest barrier to new CBD business openings that I’ve heard repeated over decades is the ridiculous up front “car park” fees council imposes. Not sure how many more car parks they wanna build. One whole section seems to be carpark. Maybe knock down the vacant shop fronts to further increase parking space? That’ll improve the look…if you like car parks more than empty shops….and there will be more car parks! - Richard Draper
You don’t have to travel far to see what other towns/councils/chamber of commerce/owners do with long term empty shops. Some of the ones in Parkes are disgustingly filthy and deteriorating and have been for a number of years - Lyndall Bowen.
ALL the rents up town are way too high for people to continue to be open, maybe have a good long hard chat with the landlords to stop being so greedy and be more sensible and more reasonable with their rent pricing - Marlene Symonds.
The town has so many shops lost over the years, obviously high rent is an issue, nothing worse than driving up the street and seeing empty shops. No wonder people shop out of town - Fiona Maxwell.
Don't need anymore tobacco shops or coffee shops, or $2 junk shops, council should try attracting [what] this town needs - David Watson.
If starting up a business is as hard to do as building a house with regards to council its a surprise we have any businesses to be honest - Ben Stead.
The rents are way too high, have heard that from many former businesses. Sadly a lot of that comes from rich out of towners buying commercial properties for negative gearing so they don't care if they sit empty - Kerry Spence.
