Port Macquarie Camel Safaris part-owner John Hardy discusses challenges of drought, fire, rain and coronavirus

Many Port Macquarie-Hastings businesses are struggling to stay in the game off the back of a long season of bushfires and drought. Now there's COVID-19.

John Hardy, part-owner of Port Macquarie Camel Safaris, says the business is facing a terrible series of events and the long-term future for the popular tourist attraction is grim.

The business was founded in 1989 and purchased by Mr Hardy 13 years ago, providing camel rides along Lighthouse Beach.

It has managed to make just three weeks of trade since the beginning of February and is currently shutdown due to COVID-19 restrictions.

"It's been a terrible 12 months. We had the drought, the fires and lost time with them. We had the rain and we have only worked three weeks since the beginning of February and now we have this," said Mr Hardy.

"It's been one thing after another and we've shutdown to try to be responsible. People have gone into lockdown so we weren't getting calls anyway.

"The big issue at the moment is because we cannot afford the hay that we should be buying, we are letting them eat the paddock grass. But because of the moist conditions it gets Ergot (fungal disease in pasture grasses) which makes the camels quite stoned, it makes them look drunk.

"This is the worst year I've ever had to suffer and now I've got some very sick camels."

Mr Hardy said the business is now in a waiting game to see if they can reopen in time before feed and maintenance costs mount.

"I don't know what will happen later this year and I don't know if we will still be here," he said.

"It's not easy because if I was a boat operator I can just tie up the boat, but you have to feed and maintain camels. We just have to hang in there and see what happens.

"We'll shutdown until we are allowed to reopen. It's just the test to see if we are still standing at that point."

Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott said businesses are doing everything they can to keep Australians safe and support staff, customers, suppliers and the community.

"It is vital we put a floor under vulnerable businesses and Australians to help them ride through these challenging times and rebound," she said.

"It is a national imperative to pull together, to keep people working and to keep things going so that once this crisis passes we can recover stronger than ever.

"It is absolutely essential that we keep production going, including in the manufacturing, essential retail, energy, mining and resources sectors, along with all of the logistics that support them. If we don't we will make recovery even more difficult and we will see more job losses.

"We must also continue to keep our supply of credit open, and make it as easy for the banks to do business as possible.

"Businesses, big and small, are the glue that keeps their communities together. When this crisis passes we will need the right policies in place to ensure they can ramp back up quickly.

"Businesses are restocking shelves as quickly as possible, they are keeping their shops open and supporting communities by paying their suppliers fast and, our banks are continuing to lend, they are extending payment terms and deferring repayments."

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