Traditionally a highlight of the public holiday was the grand final parade through Melbourne’s streets, but that has also been cancelled here.
The only thing not cancelled is double time for casual employees and a paid day off for full-time staff.
Collins Booksellers owner Cindy Patzel described the decision as “another kick in the guts” for local businesses.
“I would much rather be paying someone to be here working rather than paying them to have the day off,” she said.
“I’ll have to work myself because you can’t afford to be paying someone $50 to $60 an hour.
“I don’t agree with the decision to still have the public holiday because so many businesses have been struggling.
“We've been lucky to stay open during this time, but it has been slower than usual.
“It's sad seeing the doors of some businesses around us closed and it's scary to think some of them might not re-open.
“We're open on reduced hours at the moment and we might have to shorten those again on the public holiday.”
While for others, opening their doors just wouldn’t make any sense, according to the High St Corner Store team.
“We won’t be open,” owner Colleen Forster said.
“Our normal customer base, which includes trades people, won’t be around so there is no point in us opening.
“It would just be costing us extra money for no reason at all.
“A lot of businesses can’t afford additional costs at the moment, so I don’t understand why this public holiday is going ahead.”
S&J Furniture owner Karl Bauer said he also couldn’t understand the decision to go through with the public holiday.
“I don’t think it is necessary and we probably won’t be open on that day,” he said.
“It’s hard to make a decision on being open because you can’t guarantee there will be business to help you cover the additional costs.
“Business has been pretty steady, but the border closure is still having the biggest impact on us. We’ve got such a big customer base in NSW and some people can’t come to the store, which means we’re losing business.
“I imagine a lot of businesses who are usually closed on public holidays will be again because they just can’t afford to open their doors.”
Victorian Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh described the public holiday as Premier Daniel Andrews being more concerned about what his union bosses might say than the defence of the state’s economy.
Mr Walsh said with the government's failure to provide a clear road map out of its COVID-19 crisis its disdain for the economy had once again been clearly demonstrated.
“The long-awaited Daniel Andrews road map to recovery is nothing but a road map to ruin,” Mr Walsh said.
“On Sunday he delivered Victorian business another crippling body blow and now wants to rub salt into potentially mortal wounds by telling the people he won’t let go back to business they have to pay for the privilege — it’s an insult beyond belief,” he said.
The Victorian Government was contacted for comment.
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