"Canberra, come back."
It's a simple message and behind the work of dozens of Batemans Bay business owners hoping a surge in visitors from their reliable capital clientele will inject some much-needed funds into the bushfire-affected community.
The message was issued via a video, filmed and edited by local teenager Joel Ware, published this week on behalf of Batemans Bay businesses.
And while it's a light-hearted take on the hit 70s song Baby Come Back, the underlying message is heartfelt.
Jacob Crooke, who features prominently in the film and is Joel's boss at fish and chip shop JJ's at the Marina, said the film was made for Canberra because residents considered the city an "outer suburb" of the coast.
Off the beaten path of international tourism, Batemans Bay and its neighbours, including Moruya and Narooma, are regular holiday spots for Australians, many of them from Canberra.
"We love Canberrans — Canberrans are a part of our community, they're our life-blood," Mr Crooke said.
"They can come down here in an hour-and-a-half and still go to the beach, have a good time, and even go home in the same day.
"Batemans Bay relies on Canberra's money to survive."
He said business had picked up slowly since his shop reopened on Tuesday but was nowhere near what was usually expected at this time of year.
About 70 per cent of business owners in the town participated in the making of the video, eager to find a way to catch the attention of tourists.
There are fears some businesses will not survive the wide-ranging impact of the devastating fires.
And while visitors sometimes earn the ire of locals for taking up parking spaces and overwhelming beaches, Mr Crooke said he wanted to share those spaces once more.
"I went to the beach with my kids the other day and there wasn't anyone there — it's pretty unusual to have it to ourselves," he said.
'The beaches are still here'
As those who lost homes to the fires begin the process of rebuilding their lives, the town has started work to return to normal as quickly as possible.
The advice from the Eurobodalla Shire Council has been for tourists to return, but to be respectful of those who have been directly affected by the fires.
Batemans Bay Business and Tourism Chamber President Alison Miers said they wanted to be respectful to those who suffered through trauma and loss, while also doing what they could for business, most of which relies on tourism.
"We're welcoming Canberrans to come back here — the road's open and that's the first step," Ms Miers said.
"We're hoping with school holidays still happening that we will get some visitors to town."
But she said there was no doubt the natural disaster would have far-reaching impacts.
"It will be a long-term, the impact is long-term — something of this magnitude will take a few years to turn around," she said.
The primary issue was that the widespread media coverage had sent out the message that the damage from the fires was more widespread in town than it had been, Ms Miers said.
"The media has had a large impact on that, and what they see for this region is that it has all burnt down," she said.
"But all of the major towns are not burnt. The National Parks in the large majority for the area have, but not those towns.
"Unless you come here and experience it, you don't really know — the beaches are still here, the communities are here and most people come for that lifestyle and that's still here, so that's the message that we need to get out there."
All Eurobodalla beaches except for Surf Beach and North Broulee will reopen from tomorrow.
