The Northern Grampians Shire Council will continue to work with the Retail Doctor, at least until they have delivered their retail gap analysis.
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This is part of the NGSC’s long-term strategic program to revitalise businesses, which they say has been in pipeline since mid 2017.
Earlier this year, businesses protested against the NGSC after a string of businesses closed.
At the time, business owner of Scott’s Auto Electrics, which closed earlier this year, Phillip Scott told Stawell Times-News “I am coordinating this action (the protest) because Stawell and its businesses have had to put up with inaction and a lack of leadership from the Northern Grampians Shire Council over a long period of time”.
The Retail Doctor’s CEO and founder Brian Walker said they would be working with the NGSC to revitalise businesses.
Their plan is to formulate a discussion with the council, business owners and the community about how they would like to revitalise the town, which is part of their Fit for Business workshops.
They will then form recommendations and work out which recommendations are immediate and what ones are long term.
The recommendations will then be piloted.
Clark’s owner Llewelyn Clark said “the town could benefit from professional coaching and recommendations in the industry”.
But the NGSC is refusing to release the cost of the contract with the Retail Doctor, after repeated requests from Stawell Times-News.
It is believed the NGSC signed a non-disclosure clause.
Stawell resident Allan Cooper said the NGSC should never have signed a contract like this, if that is the case.
“The NGSC needs to disclose to rate payers how much the Retail Doctor is costing.”
The Retail Doctor is also working with Bendigo’s council, which is expected to take two to three years.
The same length of time is estimated for Stawell and St Arnaud, but the NGSC said their agreement is open-ended.
