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RNZ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Covid-19 Inquiry: Business leaders detail struggle with vaccine mandates and finances
Auckland CBD during the level 4 lockdown. Photo: RNZ / Robert Smith Business leaders from Auckland and Northland have spoken about the profound impacts on small to medium businesses coping with public health restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic. They spoke at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the government's response to Covid-19, with one leader saying they didn't think vaccine mandates would work in the future. The legal challenges for businesses to implement the mandates, and the enduring financial repercussions that are still felt today were among some of the issues raised. These are the first public hearings of the inquiry's second phase, which was called for by the coalition government last year. The hearings concentrate on the impact of the extended lockdown in Auckland and Northland in 2021, vaccine mandates and safety, and the effects of the public health measures on social division, isolation, health, education, and business activity. Auckland was in lockdown for 17 weeks, and Northland and parts of Waikato for 12 weeks, after community transmission of the Delta strain in August 2021. Auckland's Heart of the City's CEO Viv Beck said the pandemic was the "perfect storm" for CBD businesses, with the loss of tourists, international students, large events, and leaving many working from home. She said this left businesses dealing with the "eye of the storm" - particularly for the 1300 consumer facing businesses facing a 95 percent drop in sales during the level four lockdowns. Beck cited data from banks which also showed a 38 percent drop in spending at CBD businesses during alert level two, and a 19 percent drop under alert level 1 restrictions. She said many are still trading below pre-Covid levels as of today. Beck said wage subsidies at the time had helped, but didn't cover businesses' operating costs and rent. Meanwhile, the Employers and Manufacturers Association's (EMA) employment relations and safety manager Paul Jarvie told the inquiry that vaccine mandates had created legal challenges for businesses. "You've got conditions of employment, running in parallel to that you got the Bill of Rights, so people to have the right to say yes or no to treatment, and treatment includes injections. Those businesses that were mandated to have vaccines, that immediately creates employment law issues, if someone doesn't get mandated [sic] what do you do with them?" he said. When asked by the chairperson of the inquiry, Grant Illingworth KC, whether employment legislation during the Pandemic was adequate, Jarvie said it was "fit for purpose" at the time, but added that it would be helpful if there was a caveat under the employment law which allowed for certain public health measures under exceptional circumstances. Both Jarvie and Beck told the commissioners that if there was another similar event, they hope businesses can be involved from the very beginning. Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic response chair Grant Illingworth KC. Photo: Screengrab / Covid 19 Inquiry Beck said while she'd liaised with central government agencies from February 2020, she pointed out that being given information was different from being able to participate in decision making. "We got to a point where we were actually getting asked about a decision about to be made, often at the last minute, but that's the point, if it happens from the start, businesses have to be a trusted voice in decision making," she said. A manager from the National Field Days Society also in her evidence spoke of feeling of the events industry not being listened to by decision makers during the pandemic. Its head of customer and strategic engagement Taryn Storey said they'd spoken to government agencies multiple times about how they could host field days safely, but felt ignored. She said they were willing to integrate vaccine passports into its ticketing system, and thought their venue was well equipped to support the pandemic response. However, Storey said multiple visits by decision makers to their venue - including by district health officials - had led nowhere. Storey said while they felt they had weathered the pandemic, the impacts were "exceptionally profound" and they're still financially trying to claw their way back. Representatives from Northland's Chamber of Commerce said in their evidence on Monday that a community based approach would've worked better than the hard handed vaccine mandates, in persuading people to get vaccinated. Its president ,Tim Robinson, said rather than the "authoritarian" mandate path, he felt it would've been more effective to engage with Whānau Ora providers to talk to Northland communities and businesses about the vaccine. "Anybody that I dealt with or worked with during that whole period, said look, I got a much better chance of convincing somebody that the vaccination's a good idea, if there's no threat attached to it," he said. A worker on the frontline of Auckland's Jet Park Hotel quarantine facility being vaccinated against Covid-19 on 20 February 2021. Photo: Supplied / Ministry of Health Robinson said the mandates made businesses feel that they were not trusted. When asked by commissioner Anthony Hill whether vaccine mandates would ever be a valid tool in future events from a business perspective, Robinson said no. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Half of units in Sheffield's Heart of the City scheme empty
The owner of a business which has been open during construction work on a major regeneration scheme has said he is now "surrounded" by empty shops and little of the retail units in Sheffield's £470m city centre redevelopment are still vacant a year after building work the 69 units in the Heart of the City, only 35 are occupied, according to figures from Sheffield City Council. There are 25 vacant and nine under offer from potential tenants. The council said it would announce more "exciting openings" in the coming weeks and months. The spaces are earmarked for leisure, hospitality, retail and offices and include well-known buildings such as the old Gaumont Cinema, Bethel Chapel and Henry's development is also bordered by the closed John Lewis, Debenhams and Monki Nye opened his coffee shop Marmadukes five years ago and traded while the new development was being built around him. He is now surrounded by empty said: "It's really disappointing and a worry. It's not what we expected, it's not been easy."When I first spoke about taking this unit I was told that HSBC would have a bank next door to me, which sounded great, that's lots of footfall, but it didn't happen."A boost came when Sostrene Grene opened next door to us and the Cambridge Street Collective food hall also helped a little bit when it opened."Obviously we want neighbours, we have this bright new city centre, and I've spoken to a few people who said they've been looking at units but it's just not happened. The unit opposite has been empty now five years."We were told the council wanted really good independents to be in this area but for whatever reason, they've not come. It's a shame."Mr Nye said it had felt like a "battle" at times."The councillors really care but I think developing an area like this is such a huge undertaking. They need funding but also really need people who have a vision and that commercial knowledge to make it happen."I'm not saying it's all bad, but it speaks for itself when these units are empty." Kyle Barley is manager of The Cream Store and is more optimistic."We've been here since October after we saw an opportunity with the Heart of the City development."Sheffield has always been on our radar as a company because we felt there was untapped opportunity within the city centre and so far, we're happy to say that we've been right in our choice."We have found footfall steady, we can have busy periods. In the beginning, it was quiet during the week but traffic has been OK recently."Obviously, to see some of the units filled would be advantageous to us and bring more people." Sheffield City Council said Heart of the City continued to grow in popularity, attracting businesses and drawing people into the city Ben Miskell, chairman of the regeneration committee, said: "I'm incredibly proud of the fantastic mix we have, not only in terms of big national names sitting alongside incredible local brands, but also in terms of the retail, office, residential and leisure offering we have."We're not finished though, businesses are still incredibly keen to be involved, and we will be announcing more exciting openings in the coming weeks and months." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Hochul: Applications open for $10 million for East Side business property owners
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Applications are now open for a new $10 million fund for East Side property owners in an effort to revitalize neighborhood business districts, Gov. Hochul announced during a press conference Friday. The project must include a mixed-use or commercial property in order to be eligible. It must be on the East Side, preferably in an already established business district. The 'East Side Building Fund' comes from Empire State Development and local organizations. 'My administration is continuing its commitment to help East Buffalo's business property owners with the often-hard job of upgrading their buildings, which will in turn make our business districts more attractive, inviting and able to better serve Buffalo neighborhoods,' Hochul said. Projects including small renovations to existing buildings can receive grants of up to 90% of total project costs or $400,000 and will be provided by the non-profit organization Heart of the City Neighborhoods. Projects with major restorations can receive up to 50% of total project costs or up to $2 million. Applicants must demonstrate that they own the buildings and that they are not publicly owned. Applications are due on June 27. A public information meeting to learn about the fund will be held on May 21 at the Northland Workforce Training Center. See the full presser in the video player above. Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
