The sun will come up today and Mosgiel will survive. That was the feeling on the streets of the town yesterday as people heard its largest employer was closing.
While lunchtime shoppers were shocked and disappointed, there was also a determination Mosgiel would recover and continue its recent prosperity.
Mosgiel butcher Larry Greenall, who has worked in the town for 32 years, summed up the feeling when he said Fisher and Paykel Appliances' decision to close - with the loss of 430 jobs - would hurt but the town had a history of rallying in bad economic times.
‘‘This will definitely put people on the back foot and some will lose confidence in the town, but we will keep battling on. That's all you can do.''
Mosgiel Community Board chairman Barry Barbour said the news was sad for Mosgiel and Dunedin.
It was also ‘‘a kick in the guts'' for the area's economy.
However, now was the time to look for positives, get the affected staff into employment and find something else to ‘‘keep Mosgiel and Dunedin vibrant''.
Mosgiel Business Association spokesman Graeme Downes sympathised with those affected by the announcement.
‘‘At the end of the day, a lot of us thought Fisher and Paykel, over time, might not be here but we thought it would be quite a bit longer than that.''
While there would be fallout, Mosgiel was a thriving community which had experienced sustained residential growth in recent times, Mr Downes said.
Mosgiel real estate agent Peter Oliver said the closure was a fact of life and the town would be in a state of shock for several weeks, but he had no doubt it would ‘‘pull through the other side''.
He doubted a small town like Mosgiel could absorb the 430 job losses and wondered if some people would have to move to find new jobs.
‘‘This will test our resolve but we are a resilient lot here. Mosgiel will keep growing and prosper. I've no doubt.''
Adrienne Edgar, who has lived in Mosgiel for 50 years, described the news as a huge blow but said: ‘‘We will get through this. It won't be easy, but we will.''
Real Estate Institute Otago chairwoman Elizabeth Nidd said projected growth for Mosgiel was huge, so the impact on the housing market might mean only a slowing of growth.
There was a shortage of light industrial space in Dunedin and the site could provide an ideal opportunity for a new or re-locating business, she said.
But there was anger from Taieri College principal Christina Herrick, who described the move as a betrayal of the Mosgiel com munity.
‘‘This is absolutely devastat ing news for the town and the community.''
Many parents of pupils worked at the plant. The loss of those jobs, particularly second incomes, would impact on fam ilies already struggling with increasing fuel and mortgage costs.
There was the very real pros pect of families uprooting chil dren from the school and mov ing to another area where there was work, she said.
