Montville businesses feeling the pinch of cost-of-living pressures

By Janine Hill

Business owners in Montville are digging in as easing tourism, rising interest rates and changes in key businesses rattle trade.

Sam Ryva owns Montville Antiques with her husband, Reinhard.

“February and November are usually our two slowest months but June would have been like February,” said Sam Ryva, who owns Montville Antiques with her husband, Reinhard.

Sam said customers held back around every Reserve Bank interest rates announcement but tourism was also down.

“We are noticing the interstate travellers but it’s not like it was before covid. Normally, at this time of year, they would have done a family holiday but the airfares are too expensive,” she said.

“Suppliers in Sydney tell me business is bumping along down there but what happens in Sydney is that people come in or they might do a cruise and then they’ve got seven to 10 days at the end of that when they fly interstate. But they’re not flying because of the cost of the airfares and flights being cancelled.”

Montville Woods Gallery owner Arabella Lubbers said she felt like she was already in a recession.

Montville Woods Gallery owner Arabella Lubbers says people are under pressure from cost-of-living issues.

“There’s people around looking at things, probably buying a coffee, but they’re not actually shopping,” she said.

Arabella said the cost of living was putting people off spending and free-spending overseas tourists were down but Maleny was also becoming more attractive to visitors and locals

“I think we really need to do a shop local campaign because Maleny has the big Woolworths, IGA, bottleshop, and I think it’s drawing a lot more people to go to Maleny because everything is there.

“I think they’re only going to get stronger now that we’ve lost the doctor, and the pharmacy and the allied health behind are changing.”

Ann Wells from Montville IGA and post office says the pinch is being felt throughout town.

Ann Wells, who has owned the Montville IGA and post office for 16 years, said business was down a little but she was concerned about the impact on other businesses like hers from the closure of the doctor’s surgery and pharmacy.

“Definitely, the foot traffic is down since the doctor’s gone and with Natalie the pharmacist going, it’s a great big empty square now,” she said.

Ann called on locals, both residents and businesses, to support locals and shop locally when possible.

“We have a population of about 1000 in the Montville area and I don’t know how many would be local people who come in regularly,” she said.