Northlanders are still feeling the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle more than a year on, with the latest round of repairs to a key link between the region and Auckland expected to hit Te Tai Tokerau businesses hard.
State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyn Hills suffered major damage during the cyclone and still isn't fully repaired.
The latest round of work will see the vital stretch closed from February 26 until March 27, only temporarily opening for six days from March 28 until April 2 for Easter. Detours will be available, but they'll add time to the journey.
It'll then close again from April 3 to May 12, meaning including the earlier closure the Brynderwyns will be shut for a total of nine weeks.
Kylie Springford, owner of Whangārei-based Cheers Party Hire, is concerned the closure will impact Northland businesses.
"We're in the events industry, we help people celebrate things," she told Breakfast this morning.
"I look at my bookings after probably mid-March, there's pretty much not a lot there."
Springford said people with bookings before that would have made them ahead of the closure announcement.
"When the announcement came about the road closure, I think it is going to affect us in a big way.
"I'm not the only one, I'm one of many small businesses up here in Northland that are really gonna find it hard.
"We're not saying that the road shouldn't be fixed, we're very much in favour of it being fixed," she continued.
"We're just putting our hand up, saying we might need some help."
And the region is "very much open", Springford added.
"But I think the reality is, it is going to stop people coming north.
"My biggest fear is having to let team members go, or them not get the work that they need to provide for their families."
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