Council to assist Top of Town businesses facing lockout
17 November 2021
Ipswich City Council is doing all it can to support a group of Top of Town businesses through a very difficult and challenging time after they discovered they had been locked out of their premises today.
Council’s Office of Economic Development (OED) is working to locate alternative sites for the dislodged tenants and is in constant and close contact with them.
Council’s business hub Fire Station 101 has already been offered as an interim location for the businesses until the dispute can be resolved.
Division 3 Councillor and Chair of the Ipswich Central Redevelopment Committee, Cr Marnie Doyle, was devastated to learn the news this morning and along with council officers has been reaching out to tenants offering support.
“This is such a shock to these businesses, who face a significant impact on their livelihoods, through no fault of their own,” Cr Doyle said.
“Some have been in this part of Top of Town for many years and have a loyal clientele who have supported them over many years, through the economic downturn in Ipswich Central and more recently the effects of the global pandemic.
“They are an integral and much-loved part of our community and our heart goes out to them.”
Cr Doyle said council had been working with the tenants and the Ipswich Region Chamber of Commerce, advocating on their behalf with the mortgagee to come up with a quick resolution.
“This has come as a surprise today to many of these tenants and they are at a loss to understand why or what has happened.
“As a banking and finance lawyer by background I absolutely understand the complex legal framework at play here, however I personally implore the mortgagee to do what is morally right, be a good corporate citizen and allow these businesses to reopen and trade, this is people’s livelihoods that are at stake.
“They have done nothing wrong, they are victims of this entire mess. They should be allowed to trade while the property is taken to the market for sale.
“Council is doing whatever possible to ease their burden and to help deliver an appropriate and hopefully successful outcome for all concerned.”