AS a new resident to Busselton and owner of a Queen Street business, I am disappointed at the planning and communication skills of the staff in charge of the road and footpath redevelopment on the street.
It is difficult enough in the current economic climate to operate a small business, so when there are workmen camped outside your shop cutting down brick walls with steel saws and jackhammers, pulling up paving (for the fourth time this year) and digging trenches to lay new garden beds, all during shop hours, it eventually becomes a disincentive for customers to visit your shop.
We understand the city’s vision of a beautiful street and roundabouts with decorative balustrading and rain gardens complete with bench seats, but the disruption to our small family-owned business has had a massive impact.
We have been very patient up until now hoping that the end result would be worth the disruption, but our patience and understanding were tested when paving was pulled up and relayed directly outside our shop between 7.30-10.30am on Wednesday, October 24, completely blocking access to our shop.
The staff at the City of Busselton are paid a salary regardless of external influences but small business owners have to work very hard to earn every cent and without customers this becomes somewhat difficult.
I look forward to the works being completed on time with minimal further disruption and I would like to thank those customers who have been patient and still patronised the affected shops in Queen Street, including ours.
Danielle Hewson,
Busselton
