Hughesdale salon owners hit with a $ 10,000 fine after opening

Ms. Najem said at least six customers received a haircut before police threatened her with arrest and fined her $ 9,913. The salon closed at 11 a.m.

According to the police, at least one other person was arrested at the scene and fined. However, it is unclear whether this person was a customer.

“The Victoria Police are aware of the difficulties many companies are currently facing and have made every effort to resolve today’s issue without incurring a fine,” said a Victoria Police spokeswoman.

“However, following repeated warnings and consultations with the Department of Health and Human Services, the business owner was fined $ 9,913.”

Ms. Najem said the nearly $ 10,000 fine was not a major issue for her, saying she had committed to crowdfunding the cost of challenging the fine in court – but would not disclose which groups or individuals would pay their fine.

She also said she had been offered free legal representation but would not say by whom.

The salon owner said she had no personal relationship with the company found by Rebel News, which is running crowdfunding campaigns for a variety of lockdown legal challenges – including a Supreme Court challenge on behalf of an anti-lockdown protester, the beginning was submitted this week.

At least one person who went to the salon on Saturday morning was holding a “Save Victoria” banner, the slogan for another Rebel News crowdfunding campaign.

Ms. Najem said she runs her salon COVID-safe, but doesn’t require every customer to wear a mask.

“You could if you wanted to, but I don’t think it’s my job to tell people what to do and what not to do,” she said.

“Almost everyone wore a mask today.”

It comes after a defiant Berwick retailer promised earlier this week it would trade indefinitely, despite facing a nearly $ 10,000 fine after opening its menswear store on Wednesday.

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Harry Hutchinson said he was sick of the mandatory lockdown of retail stores by the state government in metropolitan Melbourne and made his own decision to reopen his store, Harry’s Clothing.

Mr. Hutchinson has also featured in video reports from Rebel News.

Prime Minister Daniel Andrews said Saturday he hoped no more businesses would follow after the examples of Berwick and Hughesdale and urged business owners to be patient.

“This is a challenge and yes it is painful, there are a lot of injuries and it needs to be healed, and there will be a budget that is unprecedented in terms of the size and type of investments we have made,” he said.

Mr Andrews said he sympathized with business owners who said they had to “open up” because they ran out of money but they should “ring the doorbell (the state government support lines) and we will take care of you if we can”.

“But if you want to fill your till by opening up to the rules, you will be fined $ 10,000. The math doesn’t match, ”said Andrews.

But Ms. Najem said that her store, which opened only three and a half weeks before the fourth tier lockdown began, did not seek business support, and she felt it was without a clear date for the retail to reopen Government and you had no choice but to open up.

“If there had been a date, we wouldn’t have done what we did,” she said. “We have no hope, we see no silver lining.”

She said the family had been overwhelmed with support for the reopening, and people gave food, money and gifts for their children on Saturday.

“We got flooded and told people to come and we would make an appointment for cuts,” said Ms. Najem. “The amount of support was insane.”

The couple, who have two young children, said they would decide tonight whether to reopen tomorrow and risk further fines or charges from the police.

“We have to weigh the scales,” said Ms. Najem.

The Victoria Police spokeswoman said the force “would like to praise the vast majority of Victorians who continue to adhere to restrictions”.