Since construction began on Stage 2A of the Light Rail, from Alinga Street to Commonwealth Park, local businesses along London Circuit have been impacted by the disruption and some have had no choice but to shut their doors.
In a recent article by the ABC, one impacted business owner of the Saint Malo restaurant said that he had made the difficult decision to close ahead of the construction, less than 12 months after opening.
The owner stated that while earlier communication from the Light Rail project had been adequate, he had been calling on the ACT Government to provide financial support to remain in business.
I spoke to ACT Treasurer and Minister for Transport, Chris Steel, to find out more on how the ACT Government has been addressing the impact on local businesses, of the ongoing light rail construction.
Q: Local businesses have been impacted by the construction works of Stage 2A, how long do you expect this disruption to last for?
A: The construction of light rail Stage 2A began early this year and will be running through to 2027. The build is expected to be completed then and operations will commence with passengers being able to take the light rail services in 2028.
It will take a number of years and that’s going to be quite disruptive given this section of the extension does move through the city and is close to businesses along the route.
In the long run however it will be of huge benefit for the city. More people will be able to use public transportation to access those same businesses.
Q: What has been done to minimise these impacts?
A: We learnt a lot from Stage 1. Providing earlier and clear consistent communication throughout the construction programme is vital. That allows business owners to have much more certainly as they can make decisions about their business.
In terms of communication we have always been clear in the published Business Partnership Plan with what support the ACT Government would provide to affected businesses, noting that the support would not be financial.
A lot of work has also been done in consultation with affected businesses on the support offered for example ensuring where possible continued delivery vehicle access. We are also assisting them with things like wayfinding (e.g. signage) in conjunction with the City Renewal Authority, responsible for activating the public spaces around the area.
Q: Have you yourself spoken to any of the impacted local businesses affected on London Circuit?
A: Infrastructure Canberra has been leading the engagement with business. Businesses inside and outside the corridor have been engaged given that the disruption actually isn’t just localised to the alignment for light rail Stage 2A.
The ACT Government have also been engaging in a range of different ways. There has been a lot of door knocking going on. There is a formal stakeholder reference group too where businesses are engaged on a regular basis. Newsletters are also published regularly providing maps and details about upcoming construction.
Q: One impacted business, Saint Malo, have suggested a need for financial support. What is your response?
A: There are a range of businesses across the footprint. They are quite diverse for example hospitality businesses, law firms and various different service provided in the area.
We had to engage with all the different needs and hospitality will be particularly impacted with a drop in footfall. We will try to work on some practical measures to continue to support them.
There are also going to be hundreds of people working in the construction site, using those hospitality businesses and we will be encouraging them use to them through Canberra Metro Agency, the company engaged in developing Stage 2A for us.
They will be providing for example vouchers to their staff for local businesses specifically to buy a coffee or get lunch. So that’s another way we are helping.
We also acknowledge that some businesses have only established themselves since the light rail was announced. Businesses like Saint Malo already knew therefore that the light rail was coming for some time.
Q:What is your final message to the impacted businesses?
A: We are still interested in hearing ideas put forward by businesses to further manage some of the impacts and is currently considering a number on the table.
If an idea is practical and might benefit the businesses during this period, it will definitely be considered.
There is also longer term value of the project here to the broader community, and local business, once the extended light rail services commence in 2028.
Photos by James Nguyen