Dezi Freeman: Deserted businesses feel the strain as manhunt for alleged cop killer drags on

Businesses in a popular Alpine region should be gearing up for a bumper school holidays but are instead grappling with the impact of a massive hunt for an accused police killer.

Residents and tourists have been told to limit movements through the region as police search for accused gunman Dezi Freeman, wanted for more than a week since a deadly confrontation at Porepunkah, about 300km northeast of Melbourne.

Local operators report a 60 per cent loss of income since the search started on August 26, according to Bright and District Chamber of Commerce president and Pepo Farms chief executive Marcus Warner.

Local restaurants and accommodation operators have told him of mass cancellations and being forced to cut casual shifts, with one business $10,000 out of pocket.

“It was a pretty painful weekend,” Mr Warner told AAP.

“If the search continues into the next week and beyond they will have some immediate cash-flow issues.”

His pumpkin seed and oil business kept its doors open through the pandemic and bushfires but shut early over the weekend because it had no customers, despite being 10km away from the search area.

“I can’t remember a time that we’ve closed the shop early,” he said.

Bad weather brought the heaviest snowfall of the season to nearby snowfields but locals aren’t expecting to reap the rewards.

Marty Robinson, who runs Marty’s Porepunkah Garage, said most of his bookings were cancelled last week and it was just as quiet this week.

“Financially the locals are feeling the scars,” he said.

There are small signs of recovery, with Porepunkah Primary School almost back to business as usual, the local pub operating at night and Porepunkah Pines Holiday Park reopening its doors on Tuesday.

As the search for Freeman continued on Tuesday, former detective Charlie Bezzina said it would be difficult to maintain its scale but police couldn’t afford to just pack up and leave.

Freeman is accused of gunning down Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35, and Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, who will be laid to rest on Friday and Monday respectively.

Tim McCurdy, the state MP for the area, said foot traffic in the nearby tourist town of Bright improved on Tuesday but was “shocking” on Monday.

One business in the area told him they had 41 cancellations last week.

“I could walk into any shop (in Bright) I wanted to and talk to the owner - there’s just nothing going on,” the Nationals MP for Ovens Valley said.

“VicPol (Victoria Police) is saying stay clear of Porepunkah and I get that.

“We’re now in day seven so people are starting to get a bit antsy and a bit anxious saying ‘when is this going to finish’, which obviously nobody can give the answer to.”

Representatives from Alpine Shire Council on Friday visited local businesses in town to gauge the financial impact.

The council has started the process of appealing for funding through the federal government’s Disaster Ready Fund, Mr McCurdy said, before upcoming school holidays and summer holiday peak.

“It’s a great area but it relies on the tourist dollar,” he said.

“We need to get money rolling into the town here and now, plus be ready to flick the switch when this guy is caught ... to get people back to the region.”

With significant snow on the alps, independent MP for overlapping federal seat of Indi Helen Haines said the winter trade-reliant towns would usually be hive of activity.

“Early indications point to a significant loss of income across multiple sectors, including accommodation providers, hospitality businesses and local tourism operators,” she said.