Auckland floods: Small businesses ignored offers to supply parliament with sandbags

The small business owner claims his offer to supply sandbags to Auckland City Council and the Department of Civil Defense was ignored.

Kyle Dransfield, owner and operator of Punching Bag Store in East Tamaki, said: Herald His business has increased production and can make over 10,000 sandbags a day.

“Three on my doorstep was all I needed and saved thousands of dollars worth of insurance claims from flooding,” Dransfield said.

“The maximum you can pay for one sandbag is $8. If the council buys 20,000 and has a stockpile and distributes them, it will have a very positive effect and the public will be happier.”

Mr Dransfield said he had tried three times to work on a deal with the council but was unable to speak to anyone who was interested or had the authority to make such a decision.

Dransfield said, “You take a detour.” “You get hooked up with people who never get back to you, or you’re told, ‘It’s the road construction contractors who are trying to do this.’

Dransfield’s only “success” is that the Coromandel District Council took his name and organized a sandbag stockpile.

“We used to be involved in road connections, but the fact is that if the supply of sandbags is not included in the contract, they don’t do it – [contractor] There is no obligation to store sandbags,” he said.

“If they knew there was going to be a disaster and they had something to do with Congress, they could come to us and say, ‘We have an emergency and we need 10,000 bags.’ .

“Given enough warning, we could have gotten them out there. We can produce about 500 pieces an hour,” says Dransfield.

He said industrial production of sandbags requires four people, which is faster than filling them one by one.

Dransfield said he sometimes questions the sustainability of his business, given the limited need for his products.

But he remembers its value during disasters and when a customer’s property is protected from flooding, Dransfield said.

“The problem is it’s a low-margin product, not an exciting business. Disaster strikes and nothing happens until you’ve sold a few thousand units. [sandbags]”

According to Dransfield, his most loyal customers were senior citizens who prepared properties before big storms.

“We have to keep doing this work for Mildred and Arthur. Mildred and Arthur come here and say, ‘Thanks for the sandbags!’

“If I could talk to someone [at council] Who was a real person and could make real decisions. ”