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A small Dunedin business owner says he is being "left to bleed out financially" because of disruption caused by ongoing roadworks in George St, and his pleas for help appear to be falling on deaf ears.
It had been a "tough time" for Knox Row precinct business owner Andrew Farmer, whose shoe repair and key-cutting shop was dependent on customer access.
Mr Farmer was worried car parks were being treated by the Dunedin City Council as an afterthought to making the precinct visually appealing.
"Businesses like myself rely on customers’ ability to drop off and pick up.
"We’ve had a big interruption since October with customers unable to get access.
"We’ve got St Vincent de Paul, the vape shop and my shop relying on just the two parks.
"Before, we had four parks," he said.
The effect of the roadworks on Mr Farmer’s business had been challenging and he was worried he would not be able to afford to pay his lease.
"The only trouble is, there’s a lot of businesses like myself that are legally obligated to a lease and we’ve got no support.
"When you sign on to a lease, that’s money in the bank for the landlord.
"If you can’t pay your lease, they say sell your house because you’re under a legal obligation."
He had not received any support from the council, Mr Farmer said.
"I’ve been to council meetings and I’ve told them I’ve been left to bleed out financially, and it wasn’t a subject they wanted to cover."
DCC infrastructure and development general manager Simon Drew said he acknowledged the work had been disruptive and it was only another challenge for businesses to contend with in the current economic environment.
However, it was important to look after critical infrastructure that supported businesses and the wider community, such as the underground pipes that needed replacing.
The council had worked hard to maintain access to off-street parking on the block and had brought the start of work forward as much as possible, Mr Drew said.
The work was tracking two months ahead of schedule and was expected to finish in June.