Premier Gladys Berejiklian appeared to open the door to compensation for businesses affected by light rail construction during a visit to Newcastle on Tuesday.
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The state government is offering rent relief to stand-alone businesses along the Sydney CBD light rail route, but last month it ruled out a similar compensation scheme for Newcastle.
The Newcastle Herald reported last month that a Newcastle Now survey of CBD businesses had shown that most were down between 10 and 25 per cent on ordinary trade since the start of the building boom in the city.
However, Ms Berejiklian, speaking to the media before a Property Council lunch in Newcastle, appeared to offer hope to Hunter Street traders affected by the light rail work.
“If there’s demonstrated loss, we’re always considering rental assistance,” she said.
“That’s what we’ve done for other projects in other parts of NSW, so, of course, we’ll look at those issues.
“But, to be pretty clear, after this project is finished, the foot traffic here is going to go gangbusters.”
“We always know that during construction it’s hard for everybody, whether you’re a resident, whether you’re a business person, whether you’re a commuter, and we thank everybody for their patience.”
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