Minister of Transport Michael Wood hasn't visited businesses impacted by CRL works

Thursday, 17 March 2022

Andy Ariano is closing the doors on his restaurant Da Vinci’s in central Auckland after a decade. He says he is a victim of the Auckland City Rail Link construction works which have killed his business.

Transport Minister Michael Wood has not been down in person to visit businesses struggling due to Auckland’s City Rail Link (CRL) construction project, despite calls from impacted proprietors.

“I have not been able to physically visit or meet with businesses in relation to the Targeted Hardship Fund, but I met with affected business owners via Zoom on 23 September 2021,” Wood said in a written statement to Parliament's transport committee.

Shobhaa Ranchhodji, the owner of flower shop Roma Blooms, said Wood “absolutely” needed to visit, so he could see in person just how much disruption had been caused by the works.

“We have asked him to sit around the table to sort out what we could do, what we need, and to come up with a solution. And that has never taken place.”

* Call for independent review of $12 million City Rail Link hardship fund

A sign asking for Transport Minister Michael Wood to meet with businesses affected by the CRL works.

* Urgent hardship payments of $2500 to $10,000 from City Rail Link hardship fund

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“I would like him to hear what it takes to run a business. For him to hear what we have been through. We are going without in order to keep our doors open,” Ranchhodji said.

Businesses also hadn’t heard from Wood since the Zoom meeting in 2021, she said.

“It just seems like they don't want small retail businesses to survive, you know, the city is not a place for them.”

Wood said he had met with businesses representatives in the C3 area on “a number of occasions” and when setting up the fund.

Shobhaa Ranchhodji says she hasn't heard from Wood since a Zoom meeting in 2021.

“At the time, Covid-19 restrictions meant we had to do this online.”

Wood’s main focus was on establishing the compensation scheme so the Government could “provide meaningful financial support”, he said.

Just over $834,000 out of the $12 million fund had been paid out to affected businesses in the C3 works area.

As of the end of January, 118 applications had been received under an interim payment scheme and the full Targeted Hardship Fund which was launched in October.

The fund was announced by Wood and Auckland mayor Phil Goff in September after media highlighted the plight of nearby businesses as construction noise, dust, and disruption drove shoppers and diners away.

More than 20 businesses have been calling for changes to the fund, however, they recently announced their strike would be coming to an end.

The closest distance between the C3 works and a business that was declined from the support was three metres.

“The business did not meet other eligibility criteria for the [Targeted Hardship Fund].”

Wood noted there had previously been a hardship fund for businesses impacted by delays in the C2 area, separate from the Targeted Hardship Fund for the C3 works.

He encouraged other eligible businesses to apply so that the Government could “provide further assistance.”