Roadworks a barrier to business

Roadworks a barrier to business

The Harbour Esplanade redevelopment is threatening the viability of Victoria Harbour businesses because it has fenced off access to their customers.

Traders on the Victoria Harbour promenade say their trade has dropped by up to 30 per cent since VicUrban fenced off the road works earlier last month.

Harbour Kitchen owner Grace Han says she won’t survive unless pedestrian access is re-established for her customers at AFL House and the Bendigo Bank.

There is a single point of pedestrian access near Central Pier in the fence that stretches from Bourke St to LaTrobe St and is expected to stay in place until the end of the year.

Previously, there were two pedestrian crossings on Harbour Esplanade.

“We cannot survive this. Especially because it is winter. If it was summer, we would have a better chance,” Ms Han said.  “I’ve already dropped my prices but still no one is coming. 

I am almost giving the food away.”

“With the amount of rent we are paying and the customers we have, we cannot survive.”

Ms Han estimates her trade has dropped 25 per cent since the fence went up.  Watermark Bar manager Simon Caruso says his trade is also down 25 per cent.  And Harbour Noodles owner Tymeng Young says his turnover has decreased 30 per cent.

Mr Caruso said he fully expected to survive the downturn, but the road works were making life very difficult.

For Mr Young, he said it was back to the days of 2004/05 when he first established his business.

“We are back to where we started,” he said.

Newcomer to the area, Messini owner, Jimmy Roussos says he hasn’t been trading long enough to quantify his losses, but he also agrees that the road works have been damaging.

“It’s definitely had a negative effect, especially on the lunch trade,” Mr Roussos said.

VicUrban project director Nic Culnane said no further changes were planned for pedestrian access the duration of stage one of the redevelopment.

He said VicUrban was attempting to balance the competing demands of minimising delays to the project and pedestrian safety.

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