Frustrations over delayed decision

An Auckland restaurant owner says she will have to write off up to $15,000 in revenue for the week because of the Government’s decision to delay announcing when the city will move down alert levels.

A ‘‘preliminary decision’’ on whether to move from alert level 2 restrictions to level 1 was made Thursday evening, but the Government decided to wait until 11.30am yesterday to announce that from 12pm Auckland would move down to level 1.

Chand Sahrawat, co-owner of Auckland restaurants Cassia, Sidart and Sid at The French Cafe, said because of the delay in alert level change she would need to write off $10,000 to $15,000 in revenue for the week.

At alert level 2 her restaurants must operate one server per table, which slows down service, and have 1 metre between tables, resulting in the restaurants being able to operate at only 50 per cent capacity, she said. ‘‘The whole process just slows down.’’

Without a warning on when alert levels would change the restaurants were not able to take forward bookings or order in the food they required because suppliers did not deliver ingredients on a weekend, she said.

Also, if they ordered ingredients but the move to level 1 did not go ahead when predicted then that could result in about $5000 of wasted ingredients, she said.

‘‘Those are the logistical nightmares,’’ Sahrawat said. ‘‘We could be preparing for a Saturday that does not happen.’’

The industry needed more clarity from the Government on when alert levels could change and ‘‘logical explanations’’ behind decisionmaking, she said.

Sahrawat said the Government seemed to move quickly into lockdown but took a long time to move down alert levels.

Hospitality New Zealand chief executive Julie White said it was ‘‘beyond frustrating’’ why the Government would not share what the plan was despite having made a decision. ‘‘I’m lost for words as to why they wouldn’t actually share the plan.’’

She said the economic crisis was as equally important as the health crisis and the Government needed to share information as soon as it made a decision on alert levels.

‘‘Businesses are really hurting. They’re on their knees.’’

Under alert level 2 businesses were not able to have more than 100 people on the premises at any one time, which was highly restrictive, especially for Auckland CBD venues on a weekend of America’s Cup racing, she said.

Level 2 meant fewer available customers, but costs remained the same, she said. ‘‘It’s like handbrake for our industry.’’

Auckland social event planner Anna Jobz said the delayed announcement limited her ability to sell more tickets for her Clear the Deck party at the Viaduct Yacht Club, which was currently restricted to 100 people.

’’It’s not an ideal result hearing it at midday today. a

‘‘It makes it really difficult plan, to make money.’’

She said she would break even on the event but there would not be much profit left over. ‘‘This kind of weekend that we’re coming into only happens every few years.’’

Knowing the decision on Thursday would have made a ‘‘massive difference’’, she said.

‘‘That 24 hours for the hospo industry would have given us time to plan so many elements that could have helped us recoup some of the money that we’ve lost over the past few months.’’

Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck said giving people notice was ‘‘vital’’ and failing to do so created unnecessary stress.

She said people were given short notice at the start of lockdown and again at the end of the higher alert levels. This created stress and to uncertainty at a time when people were already feeling under pressure with stretched cash reserves or added debt, she said. ‘‘It’s a very difficult time. This is starting to really really hurt people.’’

Auckland mayor Phil Goff defended the Government’s decision to delay the change in alert levels until yesterday. ‘‘There has been some criticism that the decision could have been made a day earlier, but I think the Prime Minister has explained very clearly that this is a full 14-day cycle we need as a precautionary measure to ensure that we will contain the virus.’’

He said he understood the Government was waiting on the last tests from Case M today.

‘‘I’m simply very pleased that our businesses and our workers and the people of our city can now go back to normality of level 1.’’

‘‘I’m lost for words as to why they wouldn’t actually share the plan.’’ Julie White Hospitality New Zealand chief executive