COVID has certainly been persistent with the hurdles it's thrown every which way it can, and lately the weight of the impacts have felt a little heavier.

Our community currently remains COVID-safe and this is good news, as it means that we can continue to keep supporting each other.

While we're all staying vigilant with COVID safety, protecting each other by keeping our distance, wearing our masks, and maintaining good hygiene, we're lucky to still have the opportunity to explore our beautiful home, and all of its offerings.

Our locals are a loyal bunch. We've supported each other through a rollercoaster couple of years, and now we're going through another rough patch.

Even if you're not a business owner yourself, it's likely that you know someone who is.

These are the people that sponsor our kid's sports teams, we visit every day for our morning coffee, and those who lend a hand in disastrous times, just as we saw throughout the floods.

Our local businesses support us and add so much to community life, so it's time to return the favour. When locals support locals, our whole community benefits.

We can all do our part to help rebuild local business and jobs by supporting our favourite retailers, restaurants, producers Council has created 10 easy ways for us all to support local and take advantage of what our slice of paradise has to offer, all while staying COVID safe. We've practically got the place to ourselves.

From ordering your family favourite local takeout online, indulging in a staycation, offering your skills to a business, or trying something new - there's an opportunity for us all to step forward and show our local businesses we're here for them.

I hope you all find a way to show a little love.