Inject nearly $30,000 into the Moree Plains Economy with your Love Local Gift Card

Still have a Love Local Gift Card ferreted away in your wallet?

While nearly $85,000 has been loaded onto Love Local Gift Cards since the launch of the promotion, some $26,071 is yet to be redeemed at participating retailers throughout the Shire.

With retail shops, beauty services and hospitality businesses all reopening their doors following COVID-19 closures, now is the time to treat yourself to a nice meal, new clothes or spoil yourself by redeeming unspent Love Local Gift Cards.  The options are endless with the variety of participating retail, service and hospitality stores throughout the Shire.

Mayor Katrina Humphries is urging locals with funds on their Love Local Gift Cards to support participating local businesses by using their gift cards, “No doubt, this year has been a tough one for many retailers, small businesses and service providers across the Shire on the back of a crippling drought.

“Now, more than ever, our local businesses need a bit of love and support so if you have a Love Local Gift Card with unspent funds, I would encourage you to indulge in a little retail therapy.

“There is currently $26,071 sitting in the pockets of Love Local Gift Card holders that could be used to support the local families operating the shop fronts throughout our Shire”, concluded Mayor Humphries.

Acting Manager of Economic Development and Grants, Susannah Pearse is delighted with the success of the Love Local Gift Card, noting that Council’s investment in meeting all set-up costs of the program in the lead up to Christmas 2019 has been repaid many times over.

“We know that we have fabulous local businesses and the Love Local Gift Card was launched for Christmas last year to drive support for them. The card provided a real way for far flung family and friends to provide a gift not only to their Moree Plains loved ones but the Moree Plains economy more generally.

“There has been a real desire from the city to support businesses in the bush as demonstrated by the wildly successful #buyfromthebush campaign, but a central platform to channel that enthusiasm and drive external funds into our local economy was needed.

“Council was the first to fully fund the Why Leave Town program for its local businesses and create the Love Local Gift Cards, a model which resulted in almost 100 businesses participating in the program, and has since been replicated by a number of other Councils.

“The success of the program also has to be attributed to the local businesses owners and staff that have keenly supported the program and driven card sales in their stores”, Mrs Pearse explained.

“Given the additional impacts of COVID-19 trading restrictions on our local businesses, there is no better time than the present for residents to now use up the balances on their Love Local Gift Cards and support local businesses.”

Last year, Love Local Gift Cards were launched by Moree Plains Shire Council in early November with a seven-week Christmas campaign featuring advertising across local radio, the Moree Champion and Facebook.

From the beginning of campaign in November until the end of December 2019, 681 cards were purchased at local “load-up stores” in Moree, Mungindi and Pallamallawa and 183 were purchased online.

Following the adoption of Council’s Operational Plan and Budget 2020-2021, the program will continue to be fully funded by Council for the next year, covering both the costs for businesses to participate in the program and a substantial advertising campaign.

Businesses interested in becoming part of the program as either a Load-Up or Redemption Store should email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

To purchase a Love Local Gift Card online and support family-owned small businesses impacted by drought and COVID-19,  pop in to one of the load-up stores or visit https://www.whyleavetown.com/purchase-online.

The full list of the participating stores and load-up stores can be found here