To state the past eight months have been challenging for our rural, small businesses is an understatement. Many were forced to temporarily shut their doors, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, while some have sadly remained closed. Countless businesses are presently surviving by the skin of their teeth through creatively thinking outside of the square.
The South Gippsland Shire Council under the direction of the Andrews government appointed Administrators appears to be suffering the same malaise – no responsibility and government by committee as the Government. The Andrews Government, wishing to hide from accountability for the Hotel Quarantine debacle appointed the Coates Commission of Enquiry – an exercise in shifting taking responsibility.
This year has seen a large number of important projects constructed in Mirboo North. Nothing much else was built or proposed for the area in the previous 10 years when Council policies appeared to focus on the central areas of the Shire to the exclusion of the outlying regions.
These sorts of large projects require a considerable timeframe from proposal to construction due to the lengthy process involved. From proposal at Council and acceptance by Councillors and the officer group through the public consultation processes and finally to shovel ready projects ready to attract grant funding and allocation into the capital works program and budgeting.
Whether these wonderful retail outlets are named op shops, thrift stores or charity shops, they are each a wonderful type of social enterprise, managed by philanthropic organisations to raise funds for worthy causes.
These venues grant the public a purposeful option to donate pre-loved belongings, while to shoppers, these stores are a paradise of miscellaneous treasures to lose oneself in, sometimes for hours on end. One of these commendable, local businesses is the St. Vincent de Paul Society Opportunity Shop in Leongatha.
Over the past seven months, many of us have got closer to experiencing the kind of solitude long sought by monks, nuns, philosophers and misanthropes.
For some, this has brought loneliness. Nevertheless, like religions such as Buddhism, the West has a rich literature — both religious and secular — exploring the possible benefits of being alone.
“Take time and see the Lord is good,” Psalm 34 enjoins, in a biblical passage long read as a call to periodically withdraw from worldly occupations. The best form of life will be contemplative, the philosopher Aristotle concurs.
This Week’s Deliveries.
Leongatha/Korumburra-MONDAY-TUESDAY
Mirboo North and Dumbalk-MONDAY (morning)
Foster-TUESDAY (morning)
Meeniyan IGA, Poowong PO, Loch Petrol Station, Nyora General Store-TUESDAY (afternoon)
You must be logged in to post a comment.