It has been a challenging time for the shire, with bushfires to the north and a retailer's fortunes potentially up in smoke further south.
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The Currowan bushfire and the news that Harris Scarfe was going into voluntary administration have been blows.
However, while business leaders in Batemans Bay and Moruya say retailers and tourism operators are feeling the pinch due to bushfire highway closures, they remain optimistic.
Batemans Bay Business and Tourism Chamber president Alison Miers says there has never been a better time to Love the Bay - the name of a new marketing campaign.
"We need to support local business and drive the town," she said.
"The economy is not good; the drought, the bridge construction and the fires - are all things that have put walls up."
"This bright campaign is a positive thing to keep that energy up, to get people to come here."
Ms Miers said her business, the Bay Breeze Boutique Motel, is one of many affected by the fire.
"I operate at 95 percent all-year round and now I am at 44 percent," she said.
"It's not just me, but others as well." She hoped the community would embrace the Love the Bay campaign.
Moruya Business Chamber president and retailer Tim Dalrymple said business had slowed over the past two weeks. "My figures are down," he said. "It's pretty thin on the ground at the moment, but, the fires have been way worse for other people. If all it's doing is taking some money out of my pocket - then so be it.
"You just have to grin and bear it. Locals have still been shopping, it's the tourists that we have missed out on - normally they are here by now," he said.
If the fire crisis continued, Mr Dalrymple said there was "not much we can do".
"I will have a whole lot of stock, and not know what to do with it," he said.
"It's all out of our control, you just have to put it aside and have it for next year."
The uncertain future of Harris Scarfe was a worry and showed how tough conditions were.
"It is very concerning," he said.
"The chamber will be very disappointed to see them close, because no-one is going to replace them and we will lose that drawcard. We regularly have customers who say they are here to see the doctor and go to Harris Scarfe."
