Jamberoo local businesses are feeling the impact of the closure of Jamberoo Mountain Road in July, with no end yet in site.

Kings Patisserie & Café owner, Warren Southwell, says he has definitely lost business with people who would normally stop and get their coffee on the way through, now having to go west via Macquarie Pass.

“It is really tough with consumables sky-rocketing and wages going up, and now we are losing customers as well. We’re getting hit from every angle,” he says.

Mark Linnertson, owner of Nerilee Antiques, agrees businesses are suffering.

From over thirty customers on the weekend down to three, Mark says he may end up having to close his doors after fifty years.

Jamberoo Newsagency has had to change its trading hours to adjust for the loss of tradies that would come through in the mornings, according to owner Natasha Deen.

“It’s a significant loss. I could easily say about 20 to 25 per cent of my customer base is gone because of the road closure,” she says.

“I don’t know if small businesses will have to look at how long they can stay open for – not just trading but if they can actually survive.”

Many local tradies used Jamberoo Mountain Road daily to travel to the Highlands

The road is expected to be closed for several months but Natasha believes it will be much longer.

“I don’t have any faith that it’s going to be a couple of months. If it’s done within a year, I would be surprised.

“It has been a month and there is still no progress, so what are we to do?”

According to Natasha, there is a lack of communication between Council and Jamberoo businesses.

“Nobody from Council is keeping us in the loop. There is no information unless I read it in a newspaper.

“I have no heads up so how do I plan to navigate less customers when no one is telling me about what’s going on.”

No work has been done on the road yet as the assessment is still being conducted

A Council spokesperson says, “Council apologises for the inconvenience of the closure, and is committed to restoring Jamberoo Road to a safe condition for local and visiting motorists.

“Council is working through a system to better notify local residents and businesses of updates when events like this occur.”

A design for the damaged section is still being devised, with the assistance of the State and Federal Governments and expert consultants. Only when the best option is found can disaster funding will be applied for to pay for the extensive repairs.

Uncertainty over the time it will take to repair was the reason given for the cancellation of the L'Etape Tour de France cycling event in November [L'Etape cancelled for 2022].

The owner of the IGA was approached for comment.