Tauranga business fears closure after road changes

Liquorland owner Lisa Parker said sales at her business have dropped by a third since the road layout changes. Photo / David Hall

A Tauranga business owner says sales have dropped because of a new road layout and she fears she’ll have to shut her store.

Lisa Parker owns Liquorland on Harington St in Tauranga’s city centre. In March the street became one-way because of nearby construction, and, the city council said, to increase safety and streamline traffic.

There were also changes to other roads in the CBD as part of a two-year trial while construction of the $306m civic precinct Te Manawataki o Te Papa and other private development was ongoing.

Parker presented a petition, signed by more than 70 people, at a Tauranga City Council meeting on Tuesday calling for lower Harington St to return to two-way traffic.

She said sales had reduced by more than a third since the road became one-way.

“The business is no longer viable, yet I have two years left on my lease with the added costs of rates, insurance, et cetera for the building.”

The decline in sales was directly linked to the street becoming one-way, Parker said.

There was a “considerable backlash” from customers about the changes and they vented to staff daily, she said.

Harington St in Tauranga's CBD became one-way in March. Photo / David Hall

Parker said she had permission from the franchisor to close in February next year, but she would still have $200,000 in lease obligations.

If the street was to return to two-way it would mean a lot to her customers, enable her to remain open and her staff could keep their jobs, she said.

Another issue the business faced was people drinking at the recently installed bus stop out front despite it being a liquor ban area, Parker said.

The bus stop had seats and was shaded by tree so could be a place for people to hang out, she said.

“Customers and I are staggered the council would consider putting a bus stop outside a liquor store.

“That’s asking for trouble and we get that trouble.”

Despite the liquor ban, staff needed to pick up empty bottles and cans from outside the store and bus stop daily, said Parker.

Buses also parked across the driveway at times which further deterred customers, she said.

Liquorland owner Lisa Park presented a petition to council to return Harington St to two-way. Photo / David Hall

The issues created by the bus stop meant her liquor licence may not be renewed, she said.

Parker received an email from the police in June saying the amenity and good order of the CBD was decreasing so renewal of her liquor licence could be in jeopardy.

“Not only is my business in jeopardy because of lack of traffic and reduced sales, now I face the fact that my licence will not be renewed.

“We link that purely to the change in the road and the demographic that’s changed as a result.”

To help with this the store was refusing to sell to customers that they saw drinking in the bus stop, Parker said.

“We appreciate and do not take lightly our privilege and responsibilities to sell alcohol.”

The store was open from 10am to 7pm except on Friday and Saturday when it closed at 8pm.

Financially the store should open earlier and close later, Parker said, but she kept those hours for the safety of her staff and the community.

Parker was told about the street changes in February and raised her concerns with the council, but these were “dismissed”, she said.

Deputy mayor Jen Scoular said it was important to keep current businesses in the CBD going. Photo / Alisha Evans

Deputy mayor Jen Scoular said it was important people were heard during consultation.

Harington St highlighted a situation where there was work under way to make the CBD the heartbeat of Tauranga, but the businesses already there needed to keep operating, said Scoular.

She asked if changes could be made to return lower Harington St to two-way.

General manager infrastructure Nic Johansson said it was possible and staff were looking at options that would be presented to the council in the new year.

Mayor Mahé Drysdale requested staff provide a report to council about returning lower Harington St to two-way at the December 9 meeting.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.