Woolworths – Coming soon to small town near you…

On Tuesday the first on January 2008, The Echo newspaper reported that Mullumbimby supermarket, Mallams, had been purchased by Woolworths who plan to have their supermarket on Railway Street Mullumbimby by mid 2009. 

The development plans submitted by Mallams to Byron Shire Council were rejected two years ago, so Mallams sought approval from the NSW State Government who recently approved the plans.

Two years ago, the Queensland town of Maleny fought to try and save their town from the retail giant and the ensuing environmental damage. The majority of the town’s residents objected, Woolworths went ahead and built the supermarket anyway.

Woolworths claim they can survive in the town of Maleny for eight years without the town’s support… nice…

The information below is from the Maleny Voice Open Community Magazine & Portal. If you are a resident of Mullumbimby, the Byron Shire, or any community trying to stay that way – please read through it carefully and apply the scenarios to your town and community.

‘The most important thing to remember is that we do have the power to change things. The destructive, global economy can only exist as long as we are prepared to accept and subsidise it. We can reject it. We can start today by joining the local food movement and reap the wealth of benefits from re-linking farmers and consumers. Fresh, local food for all may be one of the most rewarding — and certainly the most delicious — results of localisation.’  Extract from Going Local by Helena Norberg-Hodge, Director of the International Society for Ecology and Culture and author of the inspirational classic, Ancient Futures.

Why Boycott Woolworths?

‘Concerned about the environmental destruction on the banks of the Obi Obi Creek? Don’t like the bully boy tactics of large corporations that trample over the wishes of local residents and councils? Should we have development at all costs? Are we crazy to prefer a creekside park to a large concrete box supermarket?’

Destruction of Maleny’s character – Town aesthetics

A large concrete monstrosity with signs and other paraphernalia will significantly alter the appearance and ambience of the village.

The establishment of a large supermarket may trigger other big businesses to move in, destroying the reputation of Maleny as the home of the “co-operative”.

Creation of massive traffic congestion

This will also endanger school children at the primary school close to the site.

No Community Support

Woolworth’s will not support our town to any significant extent (donations of $2,500 maximum pa). Local businesses currently donate tens of thousands of dollars annually – $30,000 from the IGA supermarket!)

Woolworth’s have stated they would not sell locally produced goods, such as Maleny milk, and they have already been major contributors to the demise of dairy farmers in our region.

Destruction of environment

The large city-style Woolworth’s store planned for the Obi Obi Creek bank will:

Threaten native flora and fauna species eg platypus.

Threaten the Obi Obi Creek water quality (Caloundra City’s water source).

Social concerns

Unchecked power of big corporations is non-democratic

Corporate responsibility? This retail giant has shown no respect for our community, overriding its stated wishes.

The structure of our town and the interdependence of the community is under challenge

Woolworth’s conducted their own survey which indicated there was no public support for a Woolworth’s development on this specific site, and only 35% support for a Woolworth’s store elsewhere in town.

This is a national issue

“If rural Australians really want their local businesses protected, they should vote with their wallets all year round.”

Roger Corbet, Woolworth’s CEO
(The Australian, pg 12, April 14, 1999)

We couldn’t agree with you more, Roger!

Erosion of traditional community business districts

For every 10 jobs created by Woolworth’s 17 jobs are lost in the existing local business community.

(Council of Small Business Organisations Australia)

Less product choice 

Many familiar brands will soon disappear from the shelves as supermarkets replace them with new “own brand” varieties of low, medium and high quality.
(Food groups unite as battle with the house brands erupts, The Age, 18/8/05.)

Domination of the retail market

Concern is growing that Australia’s big grocery retailers, Woolworth’s and Coles Myer, control a possible 60% of the industry.
(Food retail stranglehold fear – survey reflects concern over dominance of Coles, Woolies, The Australian, 2/5/05.)

Farmers

Generic or house brands of a large variety of food products are about to expand on the shelves of Woolworth’s and Coles Myer. Producers and packers in the sugar, egg, flour, rice and a raft of other industries suffer from unbalanced competition.
(The Weekly Times, Melbourne, 20/4/05.)

Citrus growers

Woolworth’s and Coles have been mixing local produce with that from overseas and labelling it all as local.
(growers’ plea to shoppers as industry suffers: don’t buy if you’re not sure it’s local, the advertiser, Adelaide, 9/6/05)

Dairy Farmers

Many dairy farmers face severe financial circumstances, being undercut by Woolworth’s’ homebrand milk.
(The Age, 13/3/05) (Clashes over generic milk, The Weekly Times, Melbourne, 28/4/05)

Food Quality

Woolworth’s continue to use ge derived ingredients and allow ge animal feed in their food supply chain. >link<

Fresh Food?

Not when it’s freighted across the country to a distribution centre, then back again to you even if its from the farm next door.

Truck Drivers

Truckies claim 80 – 90% of drivers use stimulants to keep to tight schedules imposed by Woolworth’s and Coles Myer. A new NSW law holds freight customers like Woolworth’s and Coles Myer accountable (this law was created after frustrated truckies blocked a major Sydney intersection, then took their grievance to Woolworth’s’ head office.) Truck drivers have no such protection in other states.

(Townsville Bulletin, 20/4/05, The Cairns Post, 20/4/05, the Sydney Daily Telegraph, 14/6/05)

Pharmaceuticals

An attempt by Woolworth’s to retail pharmaceutical items in supermarkets has been rebuffed by the federal government. However Woolworth’s continues to attempt to enter into this market.
(Abbott says no to Woolies drug sales, Fairfax Digital, 25/11/03)

Liquor

Woolworth’s bought the Australian Leisure Hospitality Group for $1.3 billion in June this year. Earlier in the year, Woolworths lodged an objection to a small business’ application for a liquor license saying that their BWS (beer, wine, spirits) liquor outlet nearby would lose turnover.
(taverner’s pub group mulls ipo, the Australian, 8/6/05)

Woolworth’s dominates New Zealand

In conjunction with Metcash Trading, Woolworth’s have seized almost half of New Zealand’s supermarket business.
(grocery chains sold the pam press, 26/5/05 the weekly times, melbourne, 1/6/05)

Communities against Woolworth’s

Maleny Qld – A supermarket is currently under construction despite opposition by 79% of residents. 

(market facts survey 20/7/05)

Serious unresolved traffic problems are associated with the development.
An established platypus colony is located within the construction site.
Supermarket construction is being supported by a disproportionate and inappropriate police presence.

Bli Bli Qld – A Noosa Shire councillor has asked residents to boycott their local Woolworth’s supermarket. Woolworth’s owns the waterfront hotel at Bli Bli where plans have been made to extend the hours of their gaming machines to begin at 8am.

(channel 7 news, sunshine coast 30/8/05)

Moree NSW – A Big W store is to be built on an oval in Moree’s showgrounds against the wishes of some residents.

Lane Cove NSW – A Lane Cove businessman has just lost (22/8/05) a court case against lane cove council approval of a library, Woolworth’s and carpark development. Woolworth’s have stated that approval for this development has taken longer than any other Woolworth’s development in Australia.

(www.lanecove.NSW.gov.au www.crikey.com.au/articles/2004/0517-0003.html)

Neutral Bay NSW – Local residents have formed the neutral bay residents action group and they are most concerned about the size and scope of the proposed store and its impact on the neighbourhood. Issues which have particularly been highlighted include traffic, parking, noise and the effect on other small retailers. Woolworth’s have refused to amend their design to care for their neighbours.

Bankstown NSW – Spoil from a Woolworth’s construction site was dumped in norfolk reserve at greenacre on 18/09/98.

Thornleigh NSW – Residents fought for to save the village like atmosphere, demise of small retailers and increased noise and traffic from a loading dock of a proposed Woolworth’s redevelopment of an existing shopping plaza.

Yirrkala NT – After an extensive investigation, the ACCC instituted proceedings alleging that in January /February 1997, Woolworth’s, The Walkabout Tavern and The Arnhem Club met and agreed to stop discounting the takeaway sales of cartons of Victoria Bitter beer, Jim Beam bourbon whisky white and berry riesling cask wine.

(ACCC findings)

What you can do

Don’t shop there – the most effective and direct action is to hit Woolworth’s’ shareholders in their hip pockets.

Shop locally

  • to support retailers, growers and producers in your own community.
  • to reduce environmental degradation from transportation of goods all over the country.
  • support or establish a local farmers’ market where farmers sell direct to the public. 
  • Send letters and emails telling Woolworth’s why you don’t shop there. 
  • Safeguard your community’s amenity by scrutinising local planning and zoning laws. Do you have valued locations, which are vulnerable to this type of development?

Act before you become another Maleny-like victim.

Article reproduced with permission from Steve Swayne and members of the Maleny Voice Open Community Magazine & Portal.

2 Comments
  1. Anonymous says

    I watched this project from it’s inception and had an open mind as to the pros and cons and now I find this site that supports many of my concerns for the truth. I now read this material in retrospect and feel that many of the contributers who fed the “community alarm” should hang there head in shame. Whilst more pollution flows into the creek from up the street than from Woolies the platypus that I saw today could not have cared less and fortunately the only thing that endangered the schoolkids was the mums in their gas-guzzling 4 x 4 vehicles. Shame on you people.

  2. snapperking says

    Beach Stand’s “open mind” appears firmly buried in the sand. A Woolworths employee perhaps? As for the gas guzzling 4x4s endangering schoolkids, could that be as the kids cross the supermarket entrance just 100m from the school?Woolworths Maleny remains a visual blight on the town but eight years down the track most THINKING residents still won’t shop there. Insiders say it is the company’s least profitable in the nation. When 79 percent of residents opposed it, they can’t say they weren’t warned.

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