There are two jobs that spring to mind that make most people growl. One is a parking officer and the other is being the Public Health Officer for the Lismore City Council (we can nearly throw Councillor into that list too!).

Cameron Smith is the person handed the job of making Lismore businesses compliant from a Health and Safety perspective in normal circumstances but his job has become much more difficult with the ever changing face of the COVID-19 restrictions.

The Lismore App wanted to know how compliant our local businesses were and are during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How have Lismore businesses responded to the COVID-19 restrictions and regulations imposed by the NSW State Govt? How has Council assisted these businesses?

"When COVID-19 first hit forcing local businesses to go into hibernation, Council organised a successful advertising campaign with the assistance of local media, like the Lismore APP and NBN, to encourage people to support our local businesses and protect local jobs".

"The campaign, which ran for a couple of months and featured many local businesses, urged the community to think and shop local whether it was by ordering takeaways or ordering items from a local business online".

"Importantly, Council was also in constant communication with businesses, by phone and on-the-ground visits to premises, to assist them to get the maximum use out their business during the lockdown".

"Council focused on how to help businesses find ways that they could remain productive, employ their staff and use their time wisely, whether it be from using the shutdown as a good time to clean, repaint and freshen the premises, to helping them get their kitchens ready and encourage them to do takeaways while still achieving social distancing and ensuring that we have all people looked after in terms of public health".

How did the situation evolve?

"The major issue facing businesses was the constant changing of the Public Health Orders and information. The information changed at such a rapid rate of knots that we had to work out a way for businesses to make sure they knew what the changes were and how they could meet State Government requirements".

"Once again, the key was constant communication through pre-arranged meetings at the premises so that we could ensure social distancing and phone calls".

"For example, when the lockdown came into effect a lot of businesses went straight into hibernation mode. Initially that was correct, but once NSW Health said you could open the kitchen, we went out to these businesses and helped them open and advised them to use social media and put signs on their doors that they are open for takeaway and some even offered delivery".

"It was really talking to businesses and telling them ‘Here is a new business model for you. You may have never done this before, but it doesn’t mean you can’t do it now’".

"This is because some of the planning instruments that had been in place previously stopping businesses from doing certain things were changed overnight, such as all of sudden restaurants could sell takeaway alcohol with takeaway meals".

"It has made some businesses much more viable because of them changing their business models".

"We also set up a special COVID-19 webpage as a ‘One Stop Shop’ for updated Public Health Orders and other useful information to make it easier for our businesses to keep up to date with the rapidly changing rules".

What percentage of businesses are complying with these regulations?

"The latest figure I have seen is that across the state the rate of compliance is 68%".

"I think we are actually above the state average because Council has done a lot of work from March, being out there from Day One".

"The majority are doing a good job and trying to do the best they can under a very difficult situation. The initial days of opening up with limited numbers was disastrous for some and took a bit of foot pounding by Council to help people understand how social distancing works and how to work around it, such as having two shifts and letting customers know if they had to book in, or they may have to leave after a set amount of time".

"We were lucky in the fact that we didn’t have a major virus problem compared to the metro areas where all those councils literally shut down their services overnight and all inspectors were called back into the office".

"We stayed in the field working with businesses firstly by phone so Council staff could ensure social distancing when they were physically onsite. That meant we could work with businesses providing on the ground advice from March, rather than coming out of hibernation after three months and having no idea what has been happening".

What advice does Cameron give to those that are not fully complying with the regulations and restrictions?

"The best advice I can give to businesses is if you are unsure about something, pick up the phone and ask. Don’t wait to be told. Council is here to advise on how to comply".

Some people have a love/hate relationship with the Lismore City Council but regardless of your view it is difficult to criticise Cameron's role since the coronavirus arrived on our doorstep in March. Some restaurants and cafes were on the brink of closing their doors and losing everything but with the help of the LCC and in particular Cameron, new business models were explored allowing many to open doors and start trading once again to pay the day to day bills like rent and electricity as well as staff for those that could keep them on their books.

Perhaps now people won't duck back inside their businesses saying "Cameron's coming" although the compliance job does not have an attractive profile.