Outback cake decorator stops reporting vandalism, citing inaction

For years, Ishani Harney has been a cornerstone of celebration in the remote outback community of Mount Isa, Australia. The Sri Lankan-born business owner turned her cake decorating hobby into a full-time venture in 2022, creating custom cakes for birthdays, weddings, and significant community events, including Mount Isa's centenary celebrations.

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It was really heartbreaking because I started this business from scratch in this town.

However, Harney's business has been repeatedly targeted by vandals. In the three years since she moved into her commercial premises, her shop has been broken into, defaced with graffiti, and most recently, had its glass door smashed. The financial toll has been substantial, with one incident costing over $2,800 in damages just before Christmas, and the latest repair bill amounting to $585.

Beyond the financial strain, the repeated vandalism has taken a significant emotional toll on Harney. "It was really heartbreaking because I started this business from scratch in this town," she said. "To walk in and see your hard work and to do something like this to a small local family-owned business that keeps these towns going, it's very disheartening and it's sad. It's depressing and it's also very stressful."

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To walk in and see your hard work and to do something like this to a small local family-owned business that keeps these towns going, it's very disheartening and it's sad. It's depressing and it's also very stressful.

Compounding her distress is the perceived lack of effective response from authorities. After the first incident, Harney reported it to the police and was informed an offender was charged. However, her attempt to recover the $800 she paid out-of-pocket for repairs was met with a dismissive response: "No, that doesn't happen like that. We can't recover your money." This experience, along with the time and effort involved in reporting subsequent incidents, led her to stop reporting vandalism. "When it happened the last time, I didn't worry about it because that's going to take a few hours of my time because you've got to either call Policelink or go online and do it and nothing gets done," she explained.

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No, that doesn't happen like that. We can't recover your money.

Harney also found the process of applying for security grants to be overly complicated and time-consuming, further discouraging her efforts to protect her business. The difficulty in navigating grant websites and reaching assistance, coupled with the ongoing stress of vandalism, has left her feeling disheartened about the support available for small businesses in the region.

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When it happened the last time, I didn't worry about it because that's going to take a few hours of my time because you've got to either call Policelink or go online and do it and nothing gets done.