Auckland business feeling the wrath of extreme weather 

Auckland businesses continue to be impacted by extreme weather events in the region, with hospitality workers particularly affected.

Significant flooding occurred again in Auckland earlier this month.

Mission Bay’s Good George pub employee Zoë Cope says recent weather events have reduced the number of customers, which is affecting her income.

“It’s hard because a lot of us are uni students, so when we don’t have an income for that week it’s definitely stressful.

“Customers are just not coming out as much in this intense weather,” Cope says.

Situated on Tamaki Drive on the waterfront, many Mission Bay businesses have been forced to close at times.

“The promenade is full of restaurants and bars that are usually buzzing, but I have seen them closed on many occasions this year,” Cope says.

The direct road to the Mission Bay promenade was closed on February 1 and was not opened until 6 February.

“We were open through the February flooding, but we barely had any customers come in,” Cope says.

On 9 May, Cope’s workplace closed for the day in response to the government's latest weather warning.

“The entire road outside work was submerged for a while, most of my co-workers had no chance of getting there anyway.”

Auckland Council acknowledged the stress businesses have been under because of extreme weather events, with General Manager of Licensing and Regulatory Compliance Mervyn Chetty saying it “has been an extremely tough couple of years” for hospitality.