WORD ON THE STREET
NORTHERN GOLD COAST BUSINESS OWNERS ON THEIR GAMES PROSPECTS
DAUNTED, excited, prepared and chaotic.
Business owners in the city’s northern corridor say they are feeling a range of emotions as the reality of the Commonwealth Games begins to dawn on them.
Road closures, tourists, delivery truck limits and staff shortages are all big worries for business owners in the northern suburbs. In part one of the Games survival guide today featuring Coomera and Oxenford, the Bulletin lists the best time to travel, road closures and key entertainment events being staged during April’s Games.
For most people in the region, transport is their primary concern.
“I’m a locksmith in Bundall so my real stress like many people who live out in Coomera is traffic,” said Glen Evans, who also is organising alternative training grounds for the Coomera Cutters Junior Rugby League Club.
“I think because many of us locals in Coomera have no idea what to expect, we just can’t imagine the scale of how many people are coming.
“It already takes me 40 minutes to get to work with the delays of that new Westfield shopping centre being
built so I can’t picture how much slower it will be.”
Laura and Jean-Michel Lejeune said their Coomera coffee shop Freshly Ground would be surrounded by road closures, but they were buoyed for the customers the Games would bring.
“We know we are going to get busy and we have had people dropping off their resumes every day,” Mrs Lejeune said.
“We will have three chefs on duty during the Games. It’ll be a difficult time because we are already very busy with customers, especially from groups of police coming in for their daily coffee.”
Mrs Lejeune said she and her husband had mapped out detours to navigate the road closures.
The pair bought the shop eight months ago and said they were pre-ordering stock.
However, Karen Randolph fears her Pet Supplies Direct Oxenford could lose $20,000 in the two weeks.
“Some businesses are going to close down,” she said. “I don’t understand how some politicians can say (how good the Commonwealth Games will be for businesses). It feels like people like me are being absoultely ignored.”
Mrs Randolph can’t predict what pet supplies she will need to stock up on.
“I haven’t even thought about deliveries but we have been told no trucks are to come into the village during the day.”
Coomera resident Theo Gerretzen said he was going on holiday for the Games.
“My friend and I have planned to go to Longreach on April 3,” the grandfather of 11 said. “I don’t think I can cope with all the stress that will go on.”