The Victorian government has announced a support package for tourism operators and small businesses caught up in Australia’s largest manhunt.
The government announced on Monday that as much as $2.5m would be paid to support the visitor economy in Porepunkah, Bright and surrounding region, as the search for alleged police killer Dezi Freeman edged towards a fourth week.
Freeman, 56, also known as Desmond Filby, is accused of fatally shooting Det Leading Sen Const Neal Thompson, 59, and Sen Const Vadim de Waart-Hottart, 35, at a property about 300km north-east of Melbourne on 26 August before escaping into bushland.
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Travel restrictions eased in Porepunkah and surrounding towns on the weekend as the search continued.
Cherry Walk Cafe owner Leanne Boyd described nearby Bright as a “ghost town” over the past three weeks, with the “unprecedented situation” leaving many businesses without an income.
Boyd said the empty streets were eerily similar to the 2019-20 black summer bushfires, which brought the alpine tourist mecca to a standstill.
“We’ve got no tourists, because everyone has been told to stay away,” she said on Monday.
“But we’ve got people to pay, electricity bills, rent and the ATO – none of that stops … and it’s not just business owners, it’s the people we employ who are losing shifts, it’s the whole community.”
She said businesses in the area were having a bumper season before the shootings, with the best snow season in 20 years bringing more tourists to the area.
The government support package would include $5,000 grants for eligible businesses that have experienced significant disruptions and revenue losses following the incident.
It would also include financial support for the Alpine shire council and the local business chamber to support activities and events, tourism material to boost visitor numbers, and funding to support longer term tourism in the region.
There have been no confirmed sightings of Freeman since he fled. A $1m reward remained on offer for information leading to his capture, the largest financial offer for aiding an arrest in Victoria’s history.
Police on Sunday lifted travel warnings in the area, before school holidays and the AFL grand final long weekend.
Mount Buffalo national park remained closed.
Locals celebrated the eased restrictions, declaring the area open for business.
Tim McCurdy, the state MP for the area, estimated traders in Bright were down 70 to 80%.
But the Nationals MP said the damage extended as far as Myrtleford, where a bakery had lost 40% of its take.
“If we didn’t get the ban lifted and this went on for another three or four weeks, some businesses would literally close down,” McCurdy said.
While police had said it was safe for visitors, McCurdy conceded some would likely be scared away from the region by recent events.
The acting deputy commissioner Russell Barrett said the decision to lift some restrictions was difficult, but suggested it struck a balance based on the community’s reliance on tourism.
“We need to work with them to ensure their livelihoods aren’t being impacted by what is a massive search,” he told Melbourne radio station Nova on Monday.
The change in restrictions came days after Victoria police conducted the largest tactical police operation in Australia’s history, with more than 125 specialist police called in from interstate and New Zealand.
Police refused to say whether the search uncovered any sign of Freeman or evidence he had been in the area since the shootings.
