Auckland’s Queen Street is facing heightened business disruption, Heart of the City survey data suggests.
Operators cited homelessness, rough sleeping, and “frightening” anti-social behaviour as key barriers to trade. The association said it “reluctantly” released the findings. The results signal operational and reputational pressures across retail, dining, and service sectors.
According to the survey, 91% of respondents said rough sleepers and begging were affecting their business, while 81% believed the city centre was in no condition to attract more people or investment.
“In my experience living around the world, very few cities recover once their central business district is taken over by homelessness, drug use and anti-social behaviour,” one business owner said.
Seventy-two per cent of those surveyed said they were dissatisfied with the state of Queen Street’s cleanliness, and 71% said Auckland Council and Auckland Transport’s maintenance standards were not good enough.
Seventy-seven per cent of respondents said council and Government leaders were not listening to business needs, and 72% believed existing laws were not being properly enforced. Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck said the survey was released to push for a “step-change” ahead of the New Zealand International Convention Centre and City Rail Link openings in 2026.
Mayor Wayne Brown defended his record, saying “there are no simple solutions to complex problems” and insisting the city “is clean” as construction winds down. “We’ve got the police back in the city in Federal St,” he said.
Auckland City District Commander Superintendent Sunny Patel said the new police base on Federal Street is helping rebuild visibility. “Increasing our beat presence has had positive feedback… but by no means is our work over.”
Auckland City Missioner Helen Robinson acknowledged business frustration but said homelessness will persist without permanent housing and fair emergency support. “Until there is enough permanent, appropriate housing… homelessness will remain a growing problem.”
Many traders fear the CBD’s reputation will be too damaged to recover, with the City Rail Link and Convention Centre nearing completion.
“The CRL is not a golden solution… the CBD will have been destroyed,” one warned. “It is imperative that fast action is taken so businesses in all areas of the city centre can grow and thrive after a decade of major disruption,” Beck said.