One of the many empty shops in Charters Towers Road traded as Triathlon Supplies, for lease signs now on its windows , like a plethora of premises in the city. Another sign of tough economic times is the grand old waterfront edifice -The Queensland Building - also sporting lease signs , below .
An indication of just how tight the money position is in Townsville , the proprietor of a fish and chips shop told this blog that customers now rarely buy anything more than fish and chips , no scallops , etc . He said the effect of Cyclone Debbie on salad ingredients would force up costs . Interestingly , he said South Australia is the main supplier of spuds and chips and that their high electricity charges had been factored in .
In the Northern Territory , there are a growing number of empty shops in Darwin , the Smith Street Mall, a vibrant shopping centre for many years , now a shadow of its former self .
