Bright and District Chamber of Commerce president Marcus Warner said more than month after the disruptions, businesses were yet to hear from the government.<\/p>\n
“We know that the businesses have been through, sort of, hell and back in the last five weeks,” Mr Warner said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Marcus Warner says not a single cent has arrived. (Supplied: Marcus Warner)<\/p>\n
“Since the shock of the incident, it’s been the silence of the government agencies that’s been the most frustrating thing in the last two weeks.<\/p>\n
“Not a single cent has arrived. And I think, to be honest, not even a single phone call has been made to those businesses apart from the ones that we’ve been making at the chamber.”<\/p>\n
‘Radio silence’<\/p>\n
In nearby Bright, Cherry Walk Cafe owner Leanne Boyd said she signed up for financial support when it was announced<\/a> but had yet to hear anything.<\/p>\n “There has been no communication, no messages, no nothing at all. It’s just gone radio silence,” she said.<\/p>\n Leanne Boyd owns the Cherry Walk Cafe in Bright. (AAP: Joel Carrett)<\/p>\n “We’re beginning to wonder if it’s actually going to happen because there’s been no next stage, no next communication.”<\/p>\n Mr Freeman is accused of killing Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, 34, and Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, before fleeing on foot into dense bushland near his Porepunkah property.\u00a0<\/p>\n Police closed roads and airspace, and warned tourists to stay away, resulting in lost trade for businesses in an area often busy with tourists heading to the state’s alpine resorts.<\/p>\n Police image of shooting suspect Dezi Freeman. (Supplied: Victoria Police)<\/p>\n The Victoria Police search for Mr Freeman continues, with authorities confirming an additional 100 tactical police officers and interstate specialist search teams<\/a> joined the prolonged operation this week.<\/p>\n Business Victoria is sending a “small business bus” to Porepunkah and Bright on Monday to provide guidance and financial counselling to small business owners.<\/p>\n Mr Warner said the state government service had yet to respond to hundreds of applications for financial support.<\/p>\n He said a small number of people were contacted late Wednesday night and told Business Victoria would be in touch “shortly”.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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