Superette owner on the brink of bankruptcy after nine months of roadworks

A Marewa business owner says nine months of roadworks have left him on the brink of bankruptcy.

Hetal Shastri has owned the League Park Superette on Taradale Road, Marewa, for more than 10 years.

The business has survived Covid-19 and bad weather events, but Shastri says roadworks have trimmed his income 30 percent to 40 percent over a nine month period.

The southbound lane of Taradale Road was closed by Napier City Council on 25 January to allow workers to replace a culvert. It has not opened since.

"After operating our business for many years, we are now at the point where we are genuinely concerned that we may not be able to continue trading and could face bankruptcy," Shastri said.

"I have had to sell our two family cars to pay arrears on my mortgage."

A Napier City Council spokesperson said the council acknowledged the frustration businesses in the area had experienced during construction and understood the impact the southbound lane closure had on customer access and day-to-day operations.

"Taradale Road will reopen to two-way traffic from September 21, marking a significant milestone for the Taradale Road and Herrick Street Culvert Upgrade Project, and welcome news for local businesses and the wider community," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the project has taken longer than planned, with wet weather repeatedly causing delays.

"Because Taradale Road is a key transport corridor, northbound traffic has had to be maintained throughout, requiring multiple traffic management changes as work progressed."

Shastri said he had repeatedly contacted the council and asked for help "because this is no longer simply an inconvenience for our business - it is threatening our livelihood and the future of our shop".

He said he understood the roadworks had to be done and that sometimes there were delays, but nine months was "too long".

"I don't recall there being lots of rain. For me, that is the wrong excuse."

He said the business was his family's main income, and the bills continued to mount.

"I haven't paid my lease for two months and one of my main suppliers has stopped delivering to me because of unpaid bills.

"The financial difficulties are already affecting my credit history, which will make it difficult to obtain finance in the next few months.

"It has put a lot of stress on my family".

Two neighbouring businesses were also struggling.

League Park Fish Supply owner Chiv Tan said his takings had been down about $2000 a week since January and Century Bakery & Cafe owner Pheanrith Seng said he'd had a "significant drop" in income.

The council spokesperson said there would be further changes to traffic layouts over the next week and a half as crews completed final reinstatement work, with both northbound lanes remaining open throughout.

"Work has also begun on upsizing the culvert beneath Herrick Street, where a full road closure is letting crews work faster and get the project done sooner."

But Shastri fears it is already too late for them.

"The work has been delayed so much. It will take months to recover even if we get our customers back."

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.