A Rockingham real estate agent has led the charge in revitalising the town’s foreshore area and boosting local business amid “capital works chaos”, giving back to the community he says has given him so much in his 20 years of operation.
Raine & Horne Rockingham Beach Director Paul Curran said the council had been digging up roads in the area, making it difficult for tourists and visitors to utilise the Rockingham Beach Foreshore precinct.
“Not surprisingly, the 30-odd businesses operating from the foreshore precinct have been forced to wear a significant financial knock,” he said.
“There has been no compensation, and some of the businesses have taken as much as a 70 per cent hit to trading revenues.”
Mt Curran, who has operated his office from the foreshore since 1989, said there had been little government support for affected businesses.
He recognised many of his fellow small business owners were hurting, and he decided to act.
This support included launching a website rockinghamforeshore.com.au with the help of a digital marketing agency M4Media and supporting social media pages at www.facebook.com/rhrockinghamforshore where the local owners could list and profile their businesses, products, and services.
“We knocked up the website in 72 hours and linked it to the Facebook page,” Mr Curran said.
“Once we started to get some content and images from the local businesses, the campaign started attracting the attention of the Rockingham community.”
Mr Curran said their goal was to tell the local community that businesses in the foreshore precinct were still trading as usual.
“I’m pleased to say our digital marketing campaign has been helpful, and business is picking up for all tenants despite the capital works chaos,” he said.
The leading real estate principal said he decided to lend a hand given the support extended to him by the Rockingham community since he opened his doors over 20 years ago.
“At the end of the day, my motivation is quite simple. I have been here for a long time. Rockingham has been very good to me. I happened to know a few people who could help with the website, Facebook page, and the photography and who were happy to pitch in.”
