In Napier's Marewa neighbourhood, a nine-month road closure meant to improve infrastructure beneath a single street has quietly dismantled the financial foundations of small businesses that survived a pandemic and natural disasters. Hetal Shastri, who has run the League Park Superette for over a decade, now faces bankruptcy — not from market forces or mismanagement, but from the slow erosion of access. His story raises an enduring question about the hidden human cost of public works: when the burden of collective improvement falls unevenly, who bears responsibility for those left behind?
Napier superette owner faces bankruptcy after nine-month road closure
Business owner forced to sell family cars and faces potential bankruptcy; two other business owners experiencing severe financial hardship from prolonged income loss.