For many of the businesses, times had already been tough off the back of the worst drought in living memory, followed by the worst fire season the country had ever seen.

The change could be seen on Church Street almost immediately with cafes and pubs having to remove their tables, hairdressers having to shut their doors and retailers deciding whether or not it was worth staying open.

Not even the Gloucester Advocate was immune to the economic impact with a suspension of its print publication.

During these times, Gloucester residents have been encouraged to shop local; the same message that was being delivered during the drought.

As the community starts to spring back to life, with most businesses fully operational and the local newspaper returning to print, the community is entering a new era.

The moment restrictions loosened, Church Street was a hive of activity with travellers getting back on the road and residents getting back out onto the streets.

According to Gloucester Business Chamber president, James Hooke there has been a noticeable increase in Gloucester's business trade in the past month.

"A lot of the dollars have been coming from people travelling from outside the region, which is good," he said.

If you've been on Church Street lately, you may have noticed more cars, caravans and motorcycles.

But the question now is, how long will it last?

Will people go back to the way things were pre-COVID or will they continue to support the local businesses?

Another question that has been asked is, what constitutes a local business?

Is it only the businesses owned by locals or does it include businesses that employs locals?

Does quality for product and superior customer service trump location?

Or does it come down to what residents see as valuable to the community?