Arabic version: شركة في بيرث تسعى للحصول على تعويض بقيمة 250 ألف دولار عن أعمال مترونت
According to ABC News, East Victoria Park business owner Joe Mahon says Metronet construction disrupted access to his key and remote-control business and contributed to losses he estimates at $250,000.
Mahon, who runs Reid’s Remotes with his wife, said the removal of the Oats Street level crossing and later works to elevate the rail line and build a station brought road closures, parking problems and changing detours from late 2023 to mid-2025. He said customers struggled to reach the shop, while trucks, cranes and concrete vehicles blocked Forward Street.
He said turnover had grown by 25 to 30 per cent annually in the four years before the works. In the 2024 and 2025 accounting years, turnover fell by 7.45 per cent and 8.75 per cent respectively. Mahon attributed the decline to lost passing trade, which he said fell to zero by about April 2024 for the next 18 months.
After the works ended, Mahon sought $250,000 from the Public Transport Authority, based on what he believes the business would have made if its earlier growth had continued. The PTA denied the claim, saying traffic changes were reasonable, property access was continuously maintained and reasonable steps were taken to reduce impacts on the community.
Mahon said he planned to continue seeking compensation, while adding that he supported the need for public transport upgrades. A PTA spokesperson said claims are assessed individually and that details of compensation payments would not be provided while some claims remained under assessment.
