The picturesque Victorian town of Porepunkah, home to just over a thousand residents, has endured a challenging period. However, there is finally a glimmer of hope for its community members and local entrepreneurs as they start to see brighter days ahead.

As Porepunkah geared up for its bustling winter holiday season, the anticipation was palpable. The cabins were fully booked, road trips meticulously planned, and the town was ready to welcome an influx of eager visitors keen to enjoy the area’s natural beauty and winter sports.

Among those preparing for the seasonal surge were Narelle and Mark Gray, managers of the Porepunkah Pines Holiday Park. They were looking forward to a vibrant few weeks during what promised to be a stellar snow season.

However, plans took an unexpected turn when the Grays made the difficult decision to temporarily close their accommodations. This move was in response to a call for assistance from Victoria Police following a tragic shooting incident.

Reflecting on their decision, Narelle Gray shared, “We closed for the first eight days, and then we just thought, ‘Well, we can’t stay closed forever’.”

Marcus Warner, owner of Pepo Farms and president of the Bright and District Chamber of Commerce, described the impact of the abrupt shutdown and subsequent tourist lockout as “worse than COVID” for the small town. The unexpected halt in tourism left a significant mark, but the community’s resilience is paving the way for recovery.

“Overnight, cash flow just stopped and businesses ground to a halt. We weren’t expecting it, probably didn’t have the cash reserves they do today or that they might have had during COVID because of the cost of living crisis.”

Warner said businesses were “on their knees” after just a few weeks.

Residents and business owners did their best to support police as they searched for Freeman, and an emergency funding package helped keep many people afloat.

“We lost thousands and thousands of dollars. I had to lay off our casual staff,” Warner said.

“It was very evident that the community was hurting on every level.”

As the weeks turned into months without any arrests, Porepunkah felt the strain.

Mount Buffalo National Park – a popular destination for tourists passing through the town – became the hot zone for police operations, making it difficult for Porepunkah to return to normal.

The town is resilient, though.

Visitors and supporters alike helped lift up residents during the darkest times. Now, it is almost business as usual.

“People are all starting to come back, the phones are busy again,” Narelle said.

“Visitors are definitely wanting to come back.”

But she said Porepunkah is still missing closure.

Since August 26, Freeman has not been sighted and police have not been able to confirm if he is dead or alive.

“Whether we’re going to get that [closure] or not, we don’t know,” she said.

“As the police operation unfolded, we realised they were here for the long-term,” Warner added.

“We tried to get on with our lives as normal. We felt as safe as we’ve ever felt. 

“Once the tourists started to return, it did raise a significant amount of goodwill and mood once we started seeing people returning to our towns.”

Both business owners expect 2026 to be a bumper tourist year for Porepunkah.

The small town needs support and the bookings have already proved Australian travellers are willing to spend their cash to help it thrive again.

“We are a tight-knit community,” Warner said.

“We’ve been through a lot, and I think as usual, we’ll come out of this stronger.”