Anika Wells MP on ABC Brisbane Radio

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
612 ABC RADIO BRISBANE BREAKFAST
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022

SUBJECTS: Flood recovery, Toombul shopping centre businesses

CRAIG ZONCA, HOST: But if you around the northside suburbs and Toombul and you're going what's happening with Toombul shopping centre. Many, particularly business owners from the centre, are still feeling a little in the dark about the future of it after it was inundated by floodwaters. Trying to clear up some of that uncertainty, the small business owners and staff are invited to an information session tomorrow, which has been pulled together by the Federal Member for Lilley Anika Wells. Good morning to you Anika.

ANIKA WELLS, MEMBER FOR LILLEY: Good morning, Craig,

ZONCA: What are you hoping to achieve with this meeting of business owners and others?

WELLS: A bit of help for people I think. Whether it's the small business owners or the workers who work in the centre. Every indication we get is it's going to be a months-long process from Mirvac, which is who owns the centre. There's a lot of complications. You know, I think last time we spoke, we talked about you know, stock, ruined stock. How people were going to clear the centre of the deluge. Some weeks on now we're talking about what the further, more medium-term consequences are. So I know that a constituent of mine named Bella, she has a dental surgery in there. She needs to know now how her Medicare rebates and her access to private-health-preferred status endures if she can't operate. So the point is that we will be able to pull together services from both the federal government and the state government. Places like the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority, which is an administrator of government loans and grants with over 25 years’ experience. People like them, we're going to try and pull all of them together in the one spot for a drop-in shop. So that if you've got questions, if you've got issues like that to lodge, we can get that process started.

ZONCA: Have you been able to convince someone from centre management to come along as well?

WELLS: I have not. We have been very welcoming, and we are still actually waiting to hear back either way, whether or not they will send a representative. But for everybody who does want to come, it’s tomorrow at noon.

ZONCA:  Tomorrow at noon at…whereabouts? Can you tell us where?

WELLS: So we're going to Zion Hill Park, which…the locals would know. It's off the Widdop Street carpark, the back entrance of Toombul, out where you used to walk into Aldi. So we will all be camped out there.

ZONCA: Okay, so Zion Street Park tomorrow at noon. If you want that bit of information to come together. Although, I'm sure many of the business owners have already been ringing each other and trying to work out plans of attack and what to do from this point. You know, I heard the local barber is looking to set up shop somewhere else in the meantime and so on. The timeframe that you've been told and understand, is it still looking at that that six-month mark before Toombul is set to potentially reopen?

WELLS: Yes, and I should say our State Member Leanne Linard has been trying to contact each of the small businesses in the centre to let them know about the drop-in session. But a lot of people have their phones redirected or haven't been able to redirect them because they couldn't get in before the floods. But to your point about timeframes, we haven't heard anything beyond what we had been hearing from different workers and businesses inside. And that's why we are all very keen to hear more from Mirvac and look forward to hearing an update from them. Hopefully tomorrow.

ZONCA: Hopefully, that happens. Anika Wells, appreciate that. So that's business owners, other associated staff and so on who have been working in Toombul. You want to get a bit more information, access the different government services that might be able to help as well, Twelve noon, Zion Street Park, that's opposite the entrance to Aldi there. Anika, thanks for the update this morning. 

WELLS: Thank you, Craig. Have a good day

ZONCA: Anika Wells, the Federal Member for Lilley.

ENDS