THE Morven Progress Association have created a marketing campaign to entice somebody to take over their local supermarket which closed suddenly three weeks ago.
Morven Friendly Grocer is currently for sale after it shut up shop due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
The newsagency has begun stocking basic food supplies for the population including a number of elderly residents who can’t drive 100km either way to Mitchell or Charleville for groceries.
If nobody takes up the opportunity to reopen the business, a group of locals are preparing to buy the store together.
Morven Progress Association president John Kendall said this was far from a case of a little town in decline and a business going broke.
“The town is going from strength to strength and we are about to get the rail hub with the Murweh Shire Council getting a grant now,” he said.
“Morven has gone ahead so much in the last few years and it’s an unfortunate case of a business getting closed.
“It’s hard to convey it to anyone who isn’t a local.”
The shop also has a three bedroom residence attached to it and Mr Kendall said they would welcome anyone to the town who was willing to give it a go.
“We will take anyone who is happy to live in the bush and have a go and run a little business,” he said.
“The town is far from a bad luck story, it’s a good luck story with unfortunate turns of events.”
The town has had its fair share of bad luck.
The famous Morven Hotel was gutted by fire in April last year, leaving them a town with no beer.
A local family purchased the land and licences in September and had leveled the building pad, moved shipping containers and organised builders earlier this year.
While the plans for the site have been finished and submitted to council, they are now looking to investment companies for the remaining financial requirements.
A family member said they were struggling to find support from the banks for the venture due to not having industry experience despite doing the required training and having more than what was required for a deposit.
For more information on the sale of the Morven Friendly Grocer contact Ruralco Property GDL agent Andrew McCallum on 0427 581 889
Lucy Kinbacher
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
