Saving Face owners Carl and Mellanie Smith, Kathryn's Pilates Studio representative Marianne Wilson and Roquette Restaurant & Bar part owner and head chef Romel Saavedra are planning to support one another during the upcoming flood protection works. Photo: Supplied by LDR
Three of Whakatāne's high-end businesses fear months of flood protection works starting early next year could shut their doors forever.
Owners of spa and skin care clinic Saving Face, fine dining restaurant Roquette and Kathryn's Pilates Studio chose Quay Street's riverfront location for its "Zen-like" peacefulness, up-market vibe and river views.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has warned the businesses of road closures, parking restrictions, loud construction noise and vibrations from large sheet piles being driven into the ground.
The work is expected to take eight to nine months from January, but the business owners say they learned of the work only three weeks ago when a council staff member dropped off a notice.
"It's about a year too late," Saving Face owner Mellanie Smith said.
"We just feel really broken that we haven't been given enough notice to either look at moving or putting money aside to try and soundproof our rooms."
Smith said she had been told by a regional council spokesperson that they could not go public with the plans until they had come to an agreement with all the parties involved.
"All they had to do was come to us and say, 'we don't know the details but in one year you are going to have some impact of some sort on your business' so we could start planning."
It comes as they look forward to the busiest part of the year.
"We've all done the hard yards through winter and the economic downturn and were looking forward to a busy period."
Smith said she understood flood prevention was needed for the town.
"However, they way it has just been pushed upon us without any consideration or collaboration just feels very hurtful."
Even if the businesses survived next year's works, the river views they currently enjoy would be gone, she said.
"Standing, we might just be able to see the tip of White Island," Smith said.
"I feel like they don't give a toss about our businesses. They're destroying my livelihood."
Smith said relocating would come at a cost of around $200,000.
Roquette part-owner and head chef Romel Saavedra said it would be closer to $400,000 for the restaurant. They had also just invested in new furnishings, which they might not have done if they had known about the works.
The owner of Kathryn's Pilates Studio was overseas but a friend and advocate for her business Marianne Wilson said customers came expecting a relaxed atmosphere.
"All of our three businesses need a quiet environment. We need Zen. It's quite sad because these are all beautiful spaces that really enhance Whakatāne."
Residents of the two Quay Street apartment blocks, Quayside and White Isle Apartments, would also be affected by the noise.
"We're not going to have a nice summer up there, said one Quayside Apartment resident who moved into the building three weeks ago.
"If I had known that was happening I would have rethought where I was going to go."
The regional council's Project Future Proof is a flood protection programme to raise the height of the stopbanks and floodwall by around 800 millimetres along 1.8 kilometres of the Whakatāne town centre.
The plans were made public around three years ago.
Regional council engineering manager Mark Townsend said Stage 2, which covered the Quay Street area, would happen two parts.
Stage 2a, covers the isite to Wairere Stream, with Stage 2b covering the Wairere Stream bridge to the end of Quay Street, in front of the regional council building.
The works also included a new footbridge across Wairere Stream, while further work would take place on the Wairere Stream, between Quay Street and the waterfall, in 2026-27.
"A key part of the Stage 2 work is working with Ngāti Awa and Whakatāne District Council to ensure that the area remains attractive for residents and visitors to Whakatāne."
Flood protection would be incorporated into the look and feel of the surrounding area, Townsend said.
"To achieve this, the team will retain as much of the existing vegetation as possible and ensure access to the river.
"Flood protection is the first line of defence when it comes to minimising and managing the risk of significant flood events to people, property and livelihoods."
The current CBD flood defences were being upgraded to handle current weather events and the future impact of climate change, Townsend said.
Asked whether the regional council would provide compensation for loss of business due to the work, he said only one business had approached the council at present.
"Further discussions with all affected businesses needs to occur before any decision on compensation is made," he said.
He said there had been widespread communication about Project Future Proof over the past year including drop-in sessions at the council's Quay Street offices late last year and early this year.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.