Bike lane closures could cost the Leisure Coast fruit market "up to $1.5 million". (2023)

The Fairy Meadow fruit market owner says he will be "hanging out to dry off" for next month's World Cycling Championships in Wollongong and estimates the road closures will cost the company up to $1.5 million in lost income.

This is despite the ability to handle a detour where cars can enter one entrance and exit another.

Leisure Coast Fruit Market and Deli co-owner Michael Braidotti said he could be forced to lay off much of his workforce to cope with the financial damage if Princes Highway and Cabbage Tree Lane, both part of Main Street,schließen in neun Tagenab 17.09.

While there are two and a half days when the roads are open, he said the barriers down the middle will prevent people from turning right at his entrance.

ÖMercuryunderstands Coles, Aldi and Woolworths will have full access to their customers' parking and loading areas during the event and that McDonald's and KFC have negotiated a cross-flow agreement.

Although Leisure Coast was initially told it would not have access to its driveways, it has since been granted a single lane from Fairy Avenue to Cabbage Tree Lane to allow customers to reach the greengrocer via a long, winding detour before heading to turn north. Direction Rodovia dos Principes.

"Through multiple meetings with Leisure Coast and understanding the more detailed workings of their wholesale and retail business, we have worked together to maintain vehicle access to the facility," said Stu Taggart, chief executive of Wollongong 2022.

“This opportunity required acknowledgment and approval from all event partners including NSW Police, Transport for NSW, Wollongong City Council and UCI and we appreciate everyone's understanding and cooperation.

"Wherever possible, we try to work with companies affected by temporary road closures to minimize the impact or identify possible alternatives that support their ongoing operations."

However, Braidotti has dubbed the deviation a "rat race," which he fears will not make much of a difference to his bottom line.

"My guess is that during the event we're going to lose about 80% of the retail business, maybe 70%, worth $1.2 million to $1.5 million in revenue," he said.

“As a company, we will accept it if it has benefited the wider Illawarra community and people.

"The people of Illawarra have been good to us and have been a great city to do business with, we are turning 50.

“My main concern is my employees. I just want them to be able to come, work, and get paid, but I'm not sure that's going to happen."

"We really feel hung out to dry."

Braidotti has met with the race organizers twice since last December but decided to pursue legal action.

"We had the first meeting, then the second meeting, and that's when I realized it was okay, they shut us down," Braidotti said.

Legal action proved futile as the Wollongong UCI event is governed by the state's Large Events Act, meaning no compensation is due.

"My attorney basically said you don't have a leg to stand on, you're gone, forget it," he said.

Braidotti's lawyer noted in a March 8 letter that "the UCI stands ready to work with us to cause the slightest disruption to their business during this nine-day event".

While Braidotti admits organizers were "always willing to talk" and gave local tours of his shop, he said he couldn't find an alternative that "wouldn't affect the family business in such a brutal way". 🇧🇷

"I was told to think outside the box and set up a market stall in the parking lot or trade at the hotel next door," he said.

He rejected both options as they failed to address his concerns about motor vehicle access and also presented food safety risks.

"Another suggestion was: 'Why not let your customers park at Towradgi Beach Hotel, run a bus and take people on the bus?'

"I said, 'Okay, Bubo in tow, strollers, kids, come on man? How long has it been since you bought it?'"

Another option would be to open at night, but Mr Braidotti said he doesn't have the staff to work 24 hours a day and there's no guarantee stroller buyers will be out at night.

What he wanted from organizers was two lanes on the south side of Princes Highway for traffic in and out of his driveway in all directions, but this was denied because two and a half lanes are required for bicycles.

Instead it was given a bypass, taking customers south of Memorial Drive to Towradgi Road, Princes Highway, Balgownie Road, Foothills Road, then Balmoral, Russell and Dymock Streets, and Hopewood Crescent and Fairy Lane, at the end of which the Customers Cabbage enter Tree Lane to enter the fruit market.

You can then exit onto the Princes Highway heading north.

"They gave us this back door: a detour of about seven traffic lights, 17 minutes and 7 kilometers, and it's only one way," Braidotti said.

“Do you think you can do 1,500 to 2,800 car movements a day on this road?

"It won't happen, it can't happen."

It now plans to move wholesale to a night shift, which will allow it to retain 28 workers, but it said it couldn't guarantee regular hours for its retail workers.

Braidotti wants financial relief for affected companies and suggests that a temporary reduction in wage tax would help.

"The government brought (the race) here as a promotion, so it should compensate people somehow."

He would also like to know why Wollongong City Council did not consult with the community before giving the green light for the event.

"He didn't ask people if they wanted that break," she said.

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