Ongoing Main South Rd roadworks inflict ‘detrimental’ hardship on McLaren Vale wineries

Wineries in Adelaide’s south have been left thousands of dollars out of pocket and on the brink of collapse, as unrelenting roadworks continuously drive customers away.

A number of McLaren Vale wineries are on the verge of collapse, with continuous roadworks driving potential customers away and leaving owners begging for compensation.

Agostino Wines and Big Easy Radio, both in Aldinga, have each lost “up to half” their customers since the Main South Rd duplication project began, and believe time is running out with the project expected to drag on until 2026.

Agostino’s cellar door owner Hank Kass said he lost about $3000 on the weekend and feared the business wouldn’t be able sustain the financial hardship much longer.

Agostino Wines owner Joe Agostino (right) and staff member Giulio Dichiera believe the roadworks may force them to close. August 7 2024. Picture: Dean Martin

The roadworks on Main South Rd are severely impacting local businesses. August 7 2024. Picture: Dean Martin

Mr Kass said he feels the roadworks are “getting more and more around us” on Main South Rd. Picture: Dean Martin

“The roadworks are just getting more and more around us,” Mr Kass said. “They’ll probably be there for another year or more and our trade is literally going down – last weekend we did a third of what we would normally do.

“We don’t want to go belly up. This weekend cost us about $3000 and that’s without taking anything home – if you do that for a year … I won’t even last a year. I won’t last another six months.”

“I know we won’t get compensation for it, but surely there’s certain things that the department can do? I mean, if they are to the detriment of small businesses, and I can show that this is what my trade was before you rolled up, then why not?”

Plans for the last stretch of the duplication were revealed in March, with the state government aiming to speed up travel time between central Adelaide and the Fleurieu Peninsula.

The final design, showing Aldinga Beach Rd and South Rd, Aldinga. Picture: Department of Infrastructure and Transport.

Stage one of the road between Seaford and Aldinga has already opened, while stage two will connect Aldinga Beach Rd to Sellicks Beach.

Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis previously said the total $810 million package would be a “boom for local businesses”.

A Department for Infrastructure and Transport spokesperson said the Department has regularly met with Agostino Wines and Big Easy Radio to help minimise the impact of roadworks near their businesses.

“This includes notifying them about upcoming works and consulting with them to adjust work time frames to accommodate trading hours,” the spokesperson said.

“The Department has also agreed to help fix potholes near Agostino Wines.

“Earlier this week, a burst water main at Aldinga Road and Plains Road impacted these businesses due to emergency water works.

“The Department is now working with SA Water to mitigate the impacts of these works.

“The Department does not provide compensation to properties located near roadworks, instead working to minimise impacts as much as possible.”

Big Easy Radio owner Matt Head said over 50 per cent of his business had been “slashed”, acknowledging it had been a “challenging” number of years since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Matt Head from Big Easy Radio in Aldinga Beach said over 50 per cent of his business has been slashed. Picture: Matt Loxton

“Off the back of covid and getting through that, then getting whacked with roadworks, it’s been a challenging four years,” Mr Head said.

“Coming off the back of covid into roadworks is detrimental to any business.

“It’s definitely tough. The general day-to-day traffic has definitely vanished because it’s just too challenging for people with the noise, dust and the overall disruption to everything.

“Where we’re located, we copped the first phase of roadworks and now we’re copping the second phase so we’ve sort of had a double dose of it.”