Town rallies to ride out another setback

The town, which lost one of its key community hubs in a roadhouse fire on Monday, also learned the abattoir Loddon Country Lamb would close permanently – leading to about 40 job losses.

But the town of about 500, which has struggled through five years of drought, is refusing to say die.

Pyramid Hill Progress Association president Vincent Bartels, who has lived in the town for 55 years, said it might be down, but it was a long way from out.

"We've been knocked down before and we always got up again," he said.

Mr Bartels said the abattoir was another victim of the drought and a recent shortage of stock had led at first to a reduction in operation to three days per week, then temporary closure, before the announcement last week it was going into administration.

"You hope these blows don't kill a town," he said.

"But you can't help it setting you back for a little while."

He remained hopeful other key employers in the area, including

Bush's Fresh Petfood and the Kiora piggery, would be able to absorb some of those who had lost their jobs.

"Something will turn up," he said.

Mr Bartels said the progress association had already come together to offer its help to roadhouse owners Stephen and Cindy Mann, who lost five years of work building up the award-winning Black Wattle restaurant and petrol station.

"We hope the roadhouse is rebuilt for the sake of the town."

Local butcher Paul Walters said he would feel the loss of any customers in the small town, particularly the roadhouse which he regularly supplied.

"It was a couple of hundred extra bucks per week," he said.

"It's a bit of a kick in the guts for the town, but we'll pull through."

David Demaine, who owns the iconic Pyramid Hill store and hardware shop, said the closure of the abattoir could put pressure on the town's small businesses.

He said the abattoir had employed some itinerant workers, but up to 20 employees were permanent residents.

"They were good supporters of our business," he said.

"It's those employees who have settled in the town, who might have bought a house and be paying off a loan, they will be the ones who will really be hit hard."

But despite the double blow to the community, the spirit of its people would continue.

"We are trying to get things back on their feet as a community and we have made some real changes," he said.

"We have the doctors coming through twice a week.

"The morale in the town is up because of the rain, and being the town we are, we'll pull together.

"We're a pretty resilient lot."