Train ad upsets local traders

Bunbury retailers are outraged at a Transwa advertisement which encourages residents to take the Australind train to Perth to do their Christmas shopping.

The 18-second advertisement, which has been running at Bunbury Grand Cinemas, finishes with: “for all your shopping, leisure and business needs, Transwa connecting regional Western Australia”.

Best of Bunbury owner Harrison Oakley has been encouraging residents to shop in Bunbury with the Buy Local Campaign.

He said the advertisement was detrimental to the cause.

“Too many people already shop in Perth and take money from the local community,” he said.

“It is just a bad message. They could have worded it differently and got the same message across about their services.

“This advertisement is taking money straight out of local retailers’ pockets.”

Bunbury Chamber of Commerce and Industries chief executive officer Ray Philp said the advertisement was another challenge for the region’s retailers.

“There have been a few expressions of concern over the advertisement because people don’t think a Government utility should be doing such a thing,” he said.

The Public Transport Authority has defended the advertisement and spokesman David Hynes said they were not telling residents to shop in Perth.

“The advertisement to which you refer was created last year and has been running without complaint at a cinema in Bunbury ever since,” he said.

“The 18-second video is aimed squarely at people who are already making the journey to Perth and might want to consider taking the train instead.”

Bunbury MLA John Castrilli said the advertisement was intended to promote benefits of the rail service to regional people, not discourage people from shopping in Bunbury.