November 9th, 2020Kyle’s Rant

This breed of humankind are most definitely in demand for our local businesses as the roads open and there is some stiff competition for their dollar. I am talking about all the other regions that are enticing these folks back to their communities such as the Great Ocean Road, Yarra Valley and, soon enough, NSW.
It is with shallow breathing and trepidation that I look forward to the Melbourne masses returning to our region. I have been out a few times recently, frequenting some of the eateries and pubs that have reopened their doors, and I must admit I have had a couple of panicked moments as wait staff come too close and patrons stagger from their tables with no mask. I saw a person in a shop in Ballarat with a coffee in hand, so no need to don a mask (WTH). This unmasked bandit glided past the flower display and sneezed twice. In a pre-pandemic world that would be fine and simply attributed to hay fever, but these days a sneeze is a sin tantamount to a terrorist attack.
I like to think of myself as more of a coal miner than a canary. That is, I will sit back in reserved judgement as the masses flow up the freeways onto our country roads and spill into our pubs and retail stores. I am obviously pro-tourism and know what this income will mean for our area, however I am a naturally cautious person and am, quite frankly, afraid of the potential onset of a third wave and what that will do for our economy.
I guess it will come down to the professionalism of our food and beverage, retail and health, operators and staff, and the mutual respect given to them by the visitors. I do hope it all goes swimmingly and folks are gentle, as it has been a rough year.
Speaking of rough years and elections, congratulations to all those new councillors across Hepburn and Macedon Ranges who put themselves out there and won. Going from candidate to councillor, even though it’s not swapping sheep stations, is a big deal for our communities.
So this is where the rubber meets the road for you guys. You have a lot to do, particularly in our current “unprecedented” health crisis and for a lot of you this is your first entanglement with bureaucracy, which can be difficult to unravel. It is also good to see a lot of new faces who will naturally come with fresh ideas. So good luck to one and all…and try not to stuff it up!
Rambly rant over…