‘Covid time was better’
Business owners along a stretch of State Highway 1 through Timaru are struggling to make ends meet in the lead-up to Christmas, with massive roading projects having an impact on trade.
One retailer has described the situation as worse than the Covid lockdowns, while another has had to close temporarily due to a complete lack of trade.
Contractors have been working on the footpath outside Vip’s Mini Mart, at 46 Evans St, for several weeks, while further north, outside JK’s Polynesian Kitchen, at 208 Evans St, work on the road has blocked off parking outside the food business.
Both sets of works are part of major projects in the town – the work outside Vip’s is part of the Timaru District Council’s water infrastructure renewals, while the work outside JK’s, being done by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, is part of the project to upgrade an intersection to provide access to the new Showgrounds retail development.
Those behind the works say, aside from minimising interruptions,and offering temporary signage, there is very little they can do to assist the businesses.
While owners spoken to said they could understand the work was essential, that was little comfort when things were already tough, with the cost of living rising, and Christmas getting closer.
Vip’s owner Vipul Surti said the roadworks were having a major impact.
Customer numbers had dipped dramatically, because there was no longer parking outside his store.
‘‘The majority of customers were tradies who start first thing in the morning and want something quick,’’ Surti said.
‘‘We have lost a lot of clientele, and at least $10,000 to $12,000 a week.’’
He said while a council representative had been in touch about the works, he still felt uninformed
‘‘We have lost a lot of clientele, and at least $10,000 to $12,000 a week.’’
Vip’s Mini Mart owner Vipul Surti
‘‘Being a first-time business owner . . . what is happening now is heartbreaking for me and my family.’’
JK’s Polynesian Kitchen co-owner Edna Crichton
and wasn’t sure when the work would move from outside his shop.
‘‘There’s no timeline.’’
He said most of his customers enjoyed being able to park right outside his shop, run in to grab what they needed, and leave.
‘‘They left one park outside the shop, but it was small and not many people are comfortable parking there, off the main road, it’s not easy.’’
Surti has been provided with a sign from the council, directing customers to park around the corner on Luxmoore Rd.
However, he said on Monday contractors put road cones where those parking spots were, meaning customers had to park even further away from his shop.
To help boost business, he had contracted a food delivery service, Delivereasy, but said with no parking close to the store, for the sake of the drivers’ safety, that was not working.
‘‘Now we just want the works to end, so we can start again.’’
He said it was already tough for small business owners in the region, many of whom had young families to support.
‘‘Even Covid time was better, this time it’s not good.’’
JK’s Polynesian Kitchen coowner Edna Crichton said about 95% of income had been lost since the roadworks began.
The business has closed temporarily, after trying to operate as a delivery-only service for a week.
‘‘They [the works] started about a week-and-a-half ago,’’ Crichton said.
‘‘One day we opened we made $50 for the day.’’
While there had been a space for customers to park off Evans St, Crichton said the Grants Rd side had been blocked off meaning people had to U-turn in the car park to get out and that was dangerous.
‘‘We were also told to tell people to park across the road in the BP car park, but we have no permit to park there.’’
She described the situation as a ‘‘nightmare’’ and very stressful, with a young family.
Crichton opened the business, with fellow family members, in August.
‘‘Being a first-time business owner, I’ve learnt so many things
and what is happening now is heartbreaking for me and my family,’’ Crichton said.
‘‘We can’t afford to just wait until the roadworks end – this is our bread and butter.’’
The business would head back to the Timaru Farmers’ Market on Saturdays and had also attended the Twilight Market in Stafford St on Friday, where they sold out of food, to help make ends meet, she said.
Timaru District Council communications and engagement manager Stephen Doran said the works outside Vip’s Mini Mart formed part of the major drinking water, wastewater and stormwater upgrade project the council had been undertaking over the past year.
‘‘We have been working hard to minimise the effects on local businesses and residents during this essential work, but with the infrastructure being in the road corridor we have no choice but to close parts of the road at certain times,’’ Doran said.
‘‘We are aware that traffic restrictions such as this can have an effect on businesses, so have structured the work to minimise the amount of time we are working in that area to twoto-three weeks, and have offered temporary signage and alternative parking.
‘‘We are not able to compensate businesses for any loss of income during these temporary works, but will focus on completing them as efficiently as possible to minimise these issues,’’ Doran said.
A Waka Kotahi spokesperson said the agency’s South Canterbury team has been speaking with the owner of JK’s to ‘‘better understand their concerns and what mitigations can be put in place to help them out’’.
‘‘However, please bear in mind, this is a third party work site: Timaru Showgrounds Retail Development, Redwood Group,’’ the spokesperson said.
‘‘We had given the local businesses advanced warning via a letter drop and spoke to the business owner advising them to let their regulars know about access from Grants Rd via MacDonald St.
Waka Kotahi was also working with the site traffic management supervisor yesterday in an attempt to reduce the length of ‘‘no parking’’ along the highway within the work site.
‘‘We have also looked into a few options to allow customers into their business from the parking lane, but this business doesn’t want to lose their own staff parking.
‘‘We’ve had trouble with locals driving along the footpaths to get around the road closure – so all agreed this wouldn’t work.’’
Waka Kotahi is looking at opening Grants Rd later this week, and over the weekend, until work begins again next Monday.
‘‘The trench across the highway is progressing in thirds (to keep two lanes of traffic flowing on SH1 at all times) so the second third should be finished tomorrow afternoon [Wednesday], then they’re back on Monday to start the last third.’’