The Moruya Business Chamber is ending the year with a positive mindset, despite fears of business closures, mixed feelings about a planned bypass and lack of funding to run a visitors centre.
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This weekend, the town can look forward to Christmas lights after the chamber's long "battle" with Essential Energy.
Chamber president Tim Dalrymple said the decorations would be installed on light poles along the main street.
"It has been an ongoing battle with Essential Energy to be able to install them," he said.
"Hopefully it's secured now for years to come."
With holiday-makers slowly rolling in, Mr Dalrymple said the chamber was devastated its pop-up information centre would not operate this year.
"It has been a big effort to drive the centre over the past three years, especially for Jude Manahan who carried out the coordinator's role," he said.
"It has been a good positive thing for the town."
"Unfortunately, Jude is going away and we couldn't find anyone else with the amount of time necessary."
In previous years, volunteers coordinated and staffed the pop-up information centre, located in Moruya Books.
Mr Dalrymple said the chamber approached the council for funding to employ a coordinator, but was unsuccessful.
We have formed a sub committee to work with any negative impact on Moruya
- Tim Dalrymple - Chamber President
"The chamber asked for a small amount of money to fund the eight-week position but were denied the financial support," he said.
"The information centre was growing in popularity and it is disappointing it will not continue this December and January."
Next year, Mr Dalrymple said the chamber will investigate a business model to keep the pop-up centre open into the future.
Mr Dalrymple said the chamber had been busy talking about the town's future.
With the proposed sale of Southern Phone, talk of a bypass and Harris Scarfe at a crossroads, Mr Dalrymple said the chamber must react.
"We have formed a sub committee to work with any negative impact on Moruya," he said.
"We are looking at what we can do to offset any issues.
"I am cautiously optimistic about Southern Phone and ambivalent about the bypass - I think it might be a good thing but there may be some teething problems.
"Everyone has had different view points."
Moruya businesses fear the loss of Harris Scarfe after the company entered voluntary administration on Wednesday, November 13.
The chain has 66 stores across the nation including Moruya, Ulladulla and Merimbula. It sells bed linen, home wares, clothing and more.
Mr Dalrymple was uncertain about its future.
"As a department store, they are in a very difficult market," he said.
"It's an indicator to how tough the retail industry is and it could be why they are going into voluntary administration."
Mr Dalrymple said the store brings diversity to the shire and its loss would be a big blow.
"Without them, we are not only going to lose diversity in town but the whole shire," he said.
"It is very concerning.
"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."
