Thursday, August 21, 2014

CHEMIST SHOP SWALLOWED


An   indication  of  the depressed  economic state  of   Townsville  is  the   report  that  20 businesses  in   a main  thoroughfare  closed  their  doors  in  the  past  month .  Did  not rate a mention in the local media.   Drive about the  industrial areas of  the city and in some places it looks like Detroit  with so many empty premises  for lease or sale . Even the new Murdoch  Townsville Bulletin  building  is  part empty , space  for  lease .  In  one  of the main  supermarkets, Castletown, the  Chem  Mart  site  , above , flanking  Woolworths , left  this   pill  spotted  exterior behind  when  it  moved  in  to  another nearby  chemist shop, Friendlies , under a partnership deal. The  Friendlies   chemist shop  used to include  a  busy medical centre , but  it  was  suddenly closed,  the  medicos making less than friendly remarks about  Friendlies.   Closure  of  the medical centre did not rate a mention in the local media .  For   several  months  at Castletown   an  empty  shop ,  part  of  a  national franchise , remained   empty, a  note  thanking  past customers ,  saying   that   the couple who  ran  the  place   for  10  years wanted  a  rest.  Many  Townsville traders   report  slow or " very bad "  business .   Unemployment  is  high in the town  and a  poll shows that the three LNP based Townsville  politicians, one  a minister , are likely to be tipped out at  the next election.  One   longtime  businessman  went so  far as to  say  only now  is Townsville experiencing  the   impact  of  the  GFC.   
 
There is plenty of   room on the totem pole and inside the newspaper office  building  which was built  to  replace the  one  that  contained  asbestos .