Newstead small business owners are bracing for several weeks of lost trade after Energex shifted about 1,800 staff to work from home while its headquarters at 26 Reddacliff Street is refitted.
The government-owned utility says the move is a “fiscal necessity”, but local operators fear the temporary exodus could hit the hospitality strip hard in the short term.
Staff moved to the work-from-home model after the Easter break as Energex consolidates its office footprint from six floors to five.
My Viet Kitchen owners Hoa and Gina say about half of their trade comes from Energex workers, while Eric and Joy, who run Korean diner Hello Bibimbap, and cafe Entice-Me are also expecting a sharp fall in sales.
An Energex spokesperson said the company had a financial responsibility to “the entire community” while the work was carried out.
“Energex is aware it will have an impact … but we are not going to be away all that long,” the spokesperson said.
“Every dollar we spend or save directly affects energy prices.
“Staff might not buy a coffee or something for a while, but we’re only going to be away for a few weeks. It is not like covid, when everyone was out of the office for months on end. We’ll be back before people know it … and once we’re back, we’ll be back with a vengeance.”
McConnel MP Grace Grace, a former Energex board member, said she welcomed the utility’s commitment to remain in her electorate, but said local small businesses should have been told earlier about the renovations and their likely impact.
Energex House, a centrepiece of the Newstead Riverpark urban renewal project on the historic Gasworks site, was promoted as a “vibrant and cohesive working community” when it opened 16 years ago.
