Kiama & District Business Chamber’s new COVID Shots for Safe Shops campaign offers local businesses the opportunity to promote themselves when staff are either partially or fully vaccinated, so when things open up shoppers can feel more comfortable using their services.

“We are hoping that, when our retail shops and business providers can open up and provide services to the general public again, this will be a way of encouraging Kiama’s population and visitors to come and shop locally,” says Cameron McDonald, the Chamber’s President.

The initiative was created following a survey of all Chamber members where 93.1 per cent of respondents were in favour of the campaign.

Businesses will be self-judging whether they are eligible to put up the sign, something that could be problematic as most employers are currently unable to mandate that their staff be vaccinated, and there are privacy concerns.

“It is not a vaccination campaign as such, it is about promoting businesses and trying to get people back to shopping locally,” says Mr McDonald.

“We are leaving it up to business owners themselves to be part of it but essentially there will be some level of comfort for shoppers that there is a vaccination process in place by the businesses and the staff.”

Melanie Hamill, co-owner of Kiama Cafe & Scoops Ice Creamery says her family are right behind the campaign.

“We want to keep ourselves and the community safe, and by being one of the safest places to come to it will help improve our trade,” she says.

“We have always been very proactive about doing all we can to keep the community safe during this time.”

The Chamber hopes to see this sign go up around the region

This has included their being the first to introduce a COVID Marshall, professional sanitisation stands and cordons.

“The local licencing sergeant asked to film us for training,” says husband, Anthony Varayiannis.

With a 75 per cent drop in trade, during the week staffing has been cut back to their family members and two other adults, all of whom have been vaccinated. 

Ms Hamill believes it is in everyone’s self interest to get vaccinated, and the lack of supply is causing stress.

“The young people around here can’t get vaccinated, despite how hard they try,” she says, referring to the lack of Pfizer locally as yet.

“At the moment vaccine eligibility is 16 and over and they are talking about reducing that to 12 and over so some young people working in local businesses aren’t eligible for a vaccination at the moment,” says Mr McDonald.

“As people do become vaccinated, it may be that the businesses then decide that this is a poster they want to stick up, but it’s entirely up to them.”

The initiative comes as our LGAs vaccination rates continue to rise which the Chamber hopes will help with attracting more business in the community.

“We hope it comes across as a positive campaign and it provides people with the idea that everyone is in this together and Kiama can get ahead of NSW and Australia,” says Mr McDonald.

As Ms Hamill puts it, “We want to help people see there is some light at the end of the tunnel.”

More info at www.kiamachamber.com.au