Kalbarri small business owners tackle region challenges with gusto, new residents keen to make their mark

Kalbarri’s small business owners say they are always looking on the “bright side” and will continue to overcome significant challenges facing the coastal town to continue enjoying the lifestyle.

The town is nationally renowned as a tourism gem of WA, but locals have called on the State Government for more worthwhile attention and funding as it struggles to maintain and sustain its essential services, small businesses and industries.

Late last month, the town’s only GP clinic shut down citing Medicare funding problems while Mineral Resources announced it would be closing its Lucky Bay garnet mine, about 35km south of Kalbarri, cutting 110 jobs.

The tourism town has also been hit hard by the demersal fishing ban, which came into force late last year.

However, despite the obstacles faced by residents, the town continues to attract newcomers ready to take on small business ventures.

This was certainly the case for passionate hospitality professionals, Scott and Birgit McKillop, who moved to Kalbarri last year from Tasmania to start a new food business in town.

Launching Scotty’s Burger Van in April this year, Mr McKillop said the coastal town was certainly facing significant challenges, however the lifestyle and support they felt in town made it all worth it.

Mr McKillop said he and his wife “fell in love” with Kalbarri a long time ago after travelling to the town many times while living in Margaret River from 2003 to 2015.

He said it was the perfect place for them to still work in hospitality and share their passion with the community but also step back, slow down and enjoy life.

“We have previously lived in small regional communities around Australia, so we’re used to not getting trades, we’re used to paying higher prices for food and we’re used to the peaks and troughs in the flow of tourism,” he said.

“We came to Kalbarri with a fair understanding of what regional Australia offers, and we were prepared for that, and we knew what we were looking at.”

Mr McKillop noted this was not the case for all business owners and amid ongoing challenges, closures, soaring prices and little government support he said being a business owner in a small town was a tough gig.

“We’re fortunate with what we do, we can tap into the business from a lot of locals frequenting our business and make a good little top-up with tourists,” he said.

“We moved our whole life here and we love it. It is truly an amazing part of the world and it’s where we want to be at this stage in our life.

“We can work, we can fish, play golf if we want to and relax a little bit — that’s why we’ve come to the region, and we believe in the region. It’s a fantastic place to live.”

Kalbarri local and now recent owner of Kalbarri Sports & Dive, Steve Eley, said tourism in Kalbarri had fallen to the “wayside” after the demersal fishing ban and volatile fuel prices — proving to be a challenging time for the town’s business owners.

Mr Eley and his family bought the small business just hours before the demersal fishing ban came into effect, which had severely impacted them and what they thought their future would look like.

Despite it all, Mr Eley said he would continue to look on the bright side and keep fighting to maintain their Kalbarri lifestyle and contribute to the small community.

“For people looking to move into these communities, stability is the biggest thing and job security, rising rents and rising grocery bills, don’t make it cheap to live in a small community like this,” he said.

“We don’t live here to be richer by no means, we live here for the lifestyle but it’s becoming harder and harder.”

Mr Eley said after the loss of the local doctor’s surgery and job cuts to the local garnet mine, it was clear life in Kalbarri was not getting easier for locals.

Despite it all, he said he was a glass-half-full type of person and didn’t hold on to the “doom and gloom”.

He said he has explored other avenues and focused on appreciating the town, its beautiful river and “unbelievable” fishing scene.

“You can either trip over your bottom lip and think ‘poor me’, or you can pivot and try and make it work,” Mr Eley said.

“When newer, younger owners take over the helm of a business it’s up to them to think of new ideas and new avenues.

“Right now, we are working to drive this business in a way it wasn’t before and trying to think of new things to cover the shortfall so we can keep our doors open.”