May 28, 2015
Markwell Street business owners, faced with another delay in the roadwork outside their shops, want shoppers to know: “We are open for business!”
Markwell Street in Kingaroy is currently undergoing a major roadworks upgrade necessary because poor drainage has been undermining the bitumen pavement surface.
A new road surface is being formed, and kerbing and guttering replaced, before the street is re-bitumened.
South Burnett Council roads portfolio holder Cr Damien Tessmann said Council really had no choice but to schedule the work, as the longer the project was left, the worse the undermining would have become and it would have potentially cost much more to fix.
The roadwork began in April, and is being completed in two parts in a bid to minimise inconvenience to motorists and business owners.
The southern side is being completed first, right outside Perfect Pets, Ollies Mowers and a handful of other businesses.
Half the roadway has been closed, vehicle access to the businesses is blocked, parking spaces are not available and pedestrian access has been hampered by safety barriers around the roadwork.
However, pedestrians can still get to the affected businesses by walking down the southern footpath.
Perfect Pets owner Jo Trask told southburnett.com.au that on Tuesday this week she took just $100 in sales across the counter, her worst day of trading in nine years.
In fact, she estimates sales have been only 10-20 per cent of her regular takings ever since the roadwork began almost five weeks ago.
And she has been forced to reduce the hours of a casual staff member.
However, on Saturdays, when the road crews aren’t working, sales pick up as customers take a shortcut – probably illegally – across the roadworks area.
Ms Trask said she was told a fortnight ago the road crews would be moving over to the northern side of Markwell Street – in front of the BP Garage and RSL Club car park – but work was still continuing on her side of the road.
Cr Tessmann said heavy rain earlier this month had delayed the project. The target now was to have the southern side of the street completed by Friday next week.
Ms Trask said she understood the roadwork was necessary – and she didn’t want to bag Council too much – she just wants to get the message out that her business is still open.
“We have specials on and we are happy to carry stuff to their cars,” she said.
As southburnett.com.au was talking to Ms Trask, Brett Irwin from Ollies Mowers, came along the footpath pushing a new mower back to a customer’s car.
He said his staff were also trying to do everything possible to help customers, unloading ride-on mowers in Kingaroy Street and pushing them into the workshop, and taking purchases back to their cars.
“What else can we do?” he asked.
