TERANG business owners say they have been left with few answers after safety concerns forced the temporary closure of part of the Johnstone Court atrium.
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Issues with the decaying glass roof of the 1920s-era atrium and the structure itself falling apart have resulted in an area being fenced off, blocking access to two shops.
Two Kings Fine Jewellery owner Alex Brauer said customers could not use the shop’s front door and the effect on business was detrimental.
“There’s no access to the shop for customers,” he said.
“The funny thing is if we hadn’t been here Monday, about two weeks ago, we wouldn’t have known about it until the fence was up.
“It has been quite a circus. In terms of the effect, it is having a detrimental effect, no one can get to us.”
Lush Events has been in the arcade for about three years and has relocated to an empty shop next to the Newsagency.
Co-owner Narelle Carlin said the decision to move was one they had to make.
“We’ve relocated to another store, we’re not too sure what we’re going to do,” she said.
“We haven’t received any more information with what is going. We’re none the wiser.
“It was a decision we had to make. We have so much Mother’s Day stock we needed to relocate.
“It’s just one of those things, it was a bit inconvenient.
“Hopefully the owner can do something. It’s a beautiful piece of property in our town.”
Customers can still access Pretty L’ll Things but owner Kim Brauer said people had seen the fence and assumed the shop was closed.
“I’ve got a sign out the front saying we’re open, I’ve put a message on Facebook saying we’re open but people take one look at the fence and assume we’re closed,” she said. Mrs Brauer has been in the shop for three months and said trade had been severely disrupted. The impact comes after the disruption to Terang shops from the streetscape works.
Corangamite Shire’s director of sustainability and environment Ian Gibb said the glazed atrium roof and supporting structure were deemed to be a danger to public safety.
“Because of the risk we have acted to section off an area of the atrium from public access,” he said.
Mr Gibb said the council was working with the owner and Heritage Victoria to look at repairing the structure.
