City Rail Link: ‘Angry’ shop owners protest outside Auckland Council

Wednesday, 16 June 2021

Business owners in the heart of Auckland lead a protest, claiming prolonged construction work has decimated their incomes.

Shop owners impacted by the construction of a $4.4 billion rail project held a protest outside Auckland Council on Thursday morning.

City Rail Link is in the fifth year of construction to upgrade the region’s train network, but disruptions have inflicted a “financial and emotional” toll on the city business district.

The intersection of Victoria St and Albert St will close to cars for two years on June 29 as construction continues, and there are fears “hardly anyone” will survive.

Shobhana Ranchhodji owns Roma Blooms Florist, which sits on the corner of Albert St and Victoria St. At the protest, she described the emotional impact her family has endured.

Shobhana Ranchhodji owns the Roma Blooms Florist and says the business community is angry and suffering emotionally.

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Protesters described the toll construction works in the city have had on the business community, and are calling for compensation.

“It has built an anger through all of us, and we bring it home to our families. The ones that we love the most are feeling the brunt of the abuse that we’ve had through the CRL project,” she said.

“There is nothing else but compensation that can help us through this.”

Vijay Chauhan, the owner of the Taj Mahal restaurant on Albert St, attended the protest. He wants the government to provide rent relief.

“Day by day we are getting so scared thinking about this main street closing, two years is a long time and rents are not easy, hardly anyone will be able to survive,” he said.

The Albert St and Victoria St intersection will close to cars for two years on June 29 as construction on the $4.4b project continues.

“We are not expecting any cash, just pay the landlords to help us through this. It is the hardest time of our lives.”

Alex Law runs the city centre photo store Photo Image Ltd, and he said every day he worries if he will have enough money to pay rent.

Transport Minister Michael Wood says he is reviewing a proposal that would provide $50m in compensation to impacted shops.

“I feel that all the businesses here have been robbed openly by the government and the city council,” he said.

“It’s so bad and no one’s been held to account. I don’t know why they’re not listening or helping. It’s a robbery of our health and finances.”

Small retailers along Albert St who experienced financial hardship as a result of CRL delays were offered aid in 2019 if they could demonstrate losses.

Law said he requested for aid and his application was rejected.

“But the hardship fund is so little, it’s not even enough to cover four months of the rent,” he said.

Wellesley St West closed to through traffic in March due to CRL works. It will reopen on June 27.

Minister of Transport Michael Wood said he has had a number of discussions with Heart of the City about the City Rail Link’s impact on the area.

“The previous government did not create a process or budget for business compensation when the project was first set up,” he said.

“Given this and the scale of the request, we are carefully working through it.”

Heart of the City, the city centre business association, has put forward a proposal requesting $50 million in compensation for local businesses.

The proposal is currently under review.

“The work is ongoing, and I’ve been in discussion with officials, ministerial colleagues, City Rail Link Ltd and Auckland Council on these issues,” Wood said.

A spokesperson for the Auckland mayoral office said City Rail Link Ltd has provided $617,000 in direct financial support to businesses impacted by construction delays on lower Albert St.

“The government has asked [the Ministry of Transport] to look at whether this model could be adapted to provide support to other businesses significantly impacted, which the mayor supports.”