A hair salon that defied the Victorian government’s coronavirus lockdown was fined almost $10,000 after briefly opening for trading on Saturday.
Husband and wife Jomana Najem and Rojer Alhallak, who own the Adam and Weave Barber shop in Hughesdale, in south-east Melbourne, were slugged $9,913 for opening their doors despite Stage 4 restrictions.
The struggling business put a call out on Facebook to any Victorian who needed a haircut, saying they would ‘go broke’ if they had no customers.
Police were spotted outside the salon at 8.30am on Saturday after Mrs Najem revealed her intention to open the shop in earlier media reports.
The salon was eventually closed just before 11am, with police then issuing the whopping fine.
Husband and wife Jomana Najem and Rojer Alhallak (pictured) were fined close to $10,000 on Saturday for opening their salon in Melbourne
The owners of salon ‘Adam and Weave’ were fined almost $10,000 by police (pictured) for opening during lockdown in a bid to save their business from collapse
Victorian Police (pictured) who fined the barber and salon owners almost $10,000 for operating during a lockdown
Mrs Najem said the large fine was ‘not a major concern’ and revealed to The Age she has already secured commitment for crowd-funded financial backing for costs associated with contesting the fine in court.
A Victoria Police spokesman confirmed the salon had been fined for operating in breach of the Stage 4 Chief Health Officer directions.
‘Victoria Police understands the difficulties facing many businesses at the moment and made every effort to see the matter resolved without the need for a fine to be issued,’ a spokesperson said.
‘However, after repeated warnings and consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services, the business owner was issued a fine for $9,913.’
The salon first opened on July 8, and was up and running for just three and a half weeks before they had to shut up shop on August 3 due to strict Stage Four restrictions.
Since then, the couple have been struggling to survive without any form of income or welfare payments.
‘Rojer is new to Australia, he is on a temporary residency we have had not on cent from the government for our business. Even personally no Centrelink, nothing,’ Mrs Najem said.
‘I have just had my parenting payments cut off.’
It is the second time Mr Alhallak has been forced to close his business, after leaving his home country Syria.
Adam & Weave Hair Salon and Barber in Hughesdale has been fined $9,913 for opening in lockdown
The salon only opened on July 8, before they had to shut up shop on August 3 as the city went into lockdown
‘The first time he lost his salon because of war, and this time he is like, why is this happening again? I literally opened a salon and it’s being taken away from me.
‘This is a war…its a psychological war and we have to do something about it.’
Meanwhile, the K9 Salon next door reopened two weeks ago, offering pet-grooming services.
‘They were able to open but it doesn’t make sense that they were allowed to open and cut animal hair but human hair is not allowed to be cut,’ Mrs Najem said.
Ms Najem said the pair are struggling to survive without any form of income or welfare payments
For her partner Mr Alhallak (pictured styling a model) it is the second time he has been forced to close his business, after leaving his home country Syria
The desperate business owners urged Melburnians to come by and visit them when they opened their doors at 8.30am on Saturday
Source: Daily Mail AU
