Melinda Turner was about to close her shop Shoes on Magellan, in Lismore’s CBD, and move her business online - when a lifeline was extended to her.

“When I told the real estate agent, Andrew Gordon, I was going to close and explained my situation, he said ‘don’t worry about it’,” Melinda said.

“He had spoken to the building’s owners Reg and Denise Miller the night before and they said I could get 90 days free rent while this pandemic was going on.

"I pinched myself – it was great news.”

After two years in her current Magellan Street shop location, Melinda had seen her business drop by two thirds in the last few weeks, as people were staying home, avoiding coronavirus.

Her plan to quit the shop and take over her living room with her shop stock and follow up enquiries with front door customer visits would have been problematic, so she is glad to be stable and still in town.

“I am still open Monday, Thursday and Saturday - fitting shoes in the shop,” Melinda said.

“I was born into shoes and feet– my dad and granddad were shoe makers and it’s in my blood.

“I love fitting shoes. I see the shape of someone’s foot and know my stock so I can find the right shape and style for you and make sure it fits properly.

Shoes on Magellan is open Mondays 8.30am-3.30pm, Thursdays, 10.30am-4.30pm and Saturdays 9.30am-1.30pm.

You can find Shoes on Magellan on Instagram, and if you ring Melinda on 0428 117 924, she’ll come in especially to do a shoe fitting for you.

Good business sense

Real estate agent Andrew Gordon said the decision by the building’s owners to offer rent relief to Melinda was not only a generous offer, but it made good business sense.

“Landlords will still need tenants in their buildings after this crisis is over, so it’s great business sense to keep them there,” he said.

“It shows we value the tenants and also allows someone else the opportunity to thrive.”

Other landlords in Lismore have also been offering rent relief to tenants.

Barry Robinson, owner of the East Lismore Shopping Centre has also offered rent assistance to some of his commercial clients affected by the business downturn.

“I’m in the lucky position that I can – not like some other building owners,” he said. “We help where ever it’s obvious the tenant can’t trade.

“One of my tenants has a partner who is immuno-compromised and can’t afford to catch the virus. It’s on a case by case basis – if business has a valid reason for needing rent abatement, we help them out on a month by month basis – that’s the fair way.

“It will be difficult recovering from this virus – the world’s 14^th most deadly thing - and hopefully there’s something to come back to at the end of it.”

CBD rates

The good news about rent relief comes after last night’s Lismore City Council meeting where an agenda item to discuss a CBD rates drop of 50% was held over until the next Council meeting scheduled for next week.

Andrew Gordon believes dropping CBD business rates in the CBD by 50% is just a case of “robbing Peter to pay Paul”.

“If we reduce CBD rates and impose the rate hike on others in residential community - is that forging better relationships between the community and business?" he said.

“It’s a disaster waiting to happen. We need the best of both in mind.”

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