Sewer repairs frustrate businesses

South Dunedin businesses are looking forward to an end to a month of economically-damaging roadworks on Hillside Road.

Roadworks have been in place on Hillside Road, near Bathgate Park, since October 8.

"The work is to replace a 30m-long section of foul sewer, as well as a section of water main, in the area, both of which are in poor condition," a Dunedin City Council spokesperson said.

“The work is complicated as the sewer itself is nearly four metres deep and requires sheet piling, and a number of older utility services not recorded as being at the location have been found during excavations.

 “Work began on October 8 but was delayed by the recent weather event and clean-up operations around the city.

 “We now expect work to be completed in early November at a total cost of about $150,000.”

The end of the disruption can’t come soon enough of the owners of Love Sports Dairy who said they are “upset” about what seemed to them to be a lack of regular work happening.

“Weekly income has decreased by half because all the road works,”  they said.

“There's not a lot of customers because everyone thinks the road is closed and they can't find parking anywhere.”

Other neighbouring business are also complaining about the roadworks.

One business-owner told Crux he was originally promised work would only take two weeks.

“It needed up being four weeks because they pulled staff off there to fix and repairs roads around town. What bugs me is they are getting paid for that, the repairs needed to be done, but it was at our cost.”

The business had been losing about $3,000 a week over the time of the roadworks.

To make matters worse, he said the business had been left with undrinkable water since the work started.

“And now we’ve been told they are coming back in three weeks because it needs to be redone.”

Main image: Roadworks in place on Hillside Road earlier this month.