Free prime central city parking for you, your bikes and your caravan.
Imagine owning a business and seeing the revenue halve year on year, through no fault of your own.
That is the reality for many Central Auckland business owners suffering for years because of the City Rail Link construction. The struggle for business owners, as a result of the chaos caused by constant roadworks, is immense. So, you can image how distressing it is when those business owners are also shown a lack of courtesy by contractors working on the CRL.
Every month I speak with business owners who are deeply frustrated and at times furious at the lack of empathy shown to them by CRL contractors. For example, a Port-a-loo (a luxury one of course) positioned directly outside a café with the door, usually left wide open, facing the few loyal café customers who navigate the roadworks for coffee in the middle of a construction zone.
But the prize for pure arrogance goes to the CRL contractor who was heading away for a long weekend after a day on site. He towed his caravan into the cordon of works for a day of free parking. Meanwhile, businesses are trying to manage without loading zones and with fewer customers. This act of thoughtlessness demonstrates the lack of consideration shown to business owners whose livelihoods have been severely impacted by relentless works across the city.
Another business owner watched in dismay as works, already completed, were dug up and redone due to poor design causing accidents and flooding.
Unless one has owned a small business, it is unlikely one will comprehend the devastating impacts the CRL construction is having on business owners. So, now more than ever there should be serious consideration of further compensation for business owners whose lives have been significantly impacted by the CRL construction and it’s seemingly never ending completion deadlines.
At C&R we are committed to supporting small business owners. They are often described as the beating heart of this city. (SARAH TROTMAN ONZM)
Sarah can be contacted at sarahtrotman@outlook.com or M: 021 487 583. If you are contacting her in her capacity as an Elected Member of the Waitematā Local Board, email Sarah at sarah.trotman@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
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Published: April 2024