Angela Vithoulkas: Tramageddon — Tree loss is bad but what about small business

THE planned removal of trees that were planted in 1917 in honour of our Anzacs will now be added to the 35 trees already removed for the light rail.

A protester puts up a sign about trees being removed along Anzac Pde Moore Park / Picture: John Grainger

AS Sydneysiders return in earnest to the daily grind for 2016, I’m left in no doubt that the state government’s construction juggernaut will continue at a pace, regardless of any public outcry or criticism.

The planned removal of trees that were planted in 1917 in honour of our Anzacs will now be added to the 35 trees already removed from Alison Rd, Randwick, ­despite community outcry.

To counter any criticism, light rail assessment and ­revegetation compensation reports have been shared with the public and a handy infographic is also available for those who want to cut to the chase. In other words, the bureaucratic and media relations boxes have been simultaneously ticked.

While the loss of trees is a serious issue, what about the loss of people’s livelihoods? I’m sure many business owners would like to see the ­impact assessment and compensation reports for business.

We actually don’t even know if they exist because their release might leave the state government open to broader conversations about financial compensation, something they have categorically stated will not be available for business.

There were people who took an extended break over the Christmas period but many small businesses like mine did not. A key component of light rail’s business communication strategy also appeared to wind down over that time and, without prior advice, George St from Essex to King St was suddenly closed for two weeks. No communication, no warning.

Angela Vithoulkas.

So, after three days of torrential rain that impacted sales, the jackhammers started up with noise so deafening we had to close the street-facing section of my cafe. Having previously been told that this type of construction would not occur during peak trading hours I am not trusting that it won’t happen again.

While many offices might take a break over the Christmas period that doesn’t mean people no longer travel into the city. After 30 years of trading, I know that there are plenty of tourists who choose to spend their holiday period shopping, dining out or sightseeing in the CBD. In fact there is a definite trend that has seen visitor numbers to Sydney at an all-time high due to the fall of the Australian dollar.

So where to from here? As an individual business owner, it’s with a feeling of trepidation that I greet the coming days, months and years when construction begins in earnest. I’m sure the experience would be much the same for individual home and business owners who have just found out that their properties are impacted by the construction juggernaut right across the state.

I totally understand and agree that to meet the needs of a global city we must invest in infrastructure and plan for the future. But what I don’t like is the feeling of standing alone and constantly trying to find someone who is interested in hearing about the real impact this is having on small business. Actually, sometimes I feel like a tree that’s about to be silently felled.

Angela Vithoulkas is an independent City of Sydney councillor and small business owner