A business owner in Auckland's Kumeū, who has had his premises flooded three times in 14 months, says he's at a loss at what to do, as the latest weather event has dealt a final blow to the building he leases.
Charlie James told 1News his business CJ Steel was flooded in August 2021 during the Covid pandemic, over the Auckland Anniversary floods and again overnight as Cyclone Gabrielle tore through the property.
"It's devastating... bulls**t," he told 1News.
Three of his four work vehicles have been written off by flooding, leaving him with one car.
He said the effect on his business is the last blow and he will need to move premises due to how vulnerable the building is.
"There's no way out of it, there's no way."
He said he has Business Interruption Insurance but claimed there has been "no help from the insurance companies".
"My whole livelihood has gone…23 years, it's gone."
James, originally from South Africa, said he believes Auckland Council had enough time to clean up the Kaipara River over the past 14 months but even after the last flood, the clean-up hadn't finished.
"We are just trying to get through…pay our staff. I don't have wages for tomorrow," he said.
"This is it. I don't know what to do.
"How do you get back out of it? It's [flood] number three."
James, who has a wife and two children, said his business supports four different families.
"I have four staff members who are now out of a job — I have no tools."
He said he used his house deposit savings to buy new tools after the 2021 flood — he had just moved into his workshop and was in the process of assessing what needed insuring when it hit.
"Now, I have four weeks rent left for my own house, which is in my wife's savings account. All my savings, credit cards have been wiped out.
"Every single staff member has been paid the whole way through except tomorrow," when he said there will literally be nothing left.
"I am sitting next to my wife and we are talking about how we can't throw the towel in," he said.
"The workshop is now pretty much empty, I've had to throw everything away."
While the Ministry of Social Development is offering assistance to victims of Cyclone Gabrielle, James said asking for help is difficult.
"It is very hard for someone from South Africa to ask for help. It's not in my blood, it's just not me," he told 1News.
"I have a business, I make money, I need the insurance company to pay out so I can keep going — I have heaps of work on, heaps, but I can't keep going because of the insurance issues," he said.
Aon, a broker for James' insurance company, has been approached for comment.
Auckland Council has also been approached for comment.
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