Business » North Canberra Community Council

Shoppers tipped to win as retail heavyweights face off at Majura

Business, Development, Home No Responses »

Aug 172011

Masters Sore

The final touches for big retail planning at Canberra Airport has finally been revealed with the addition of a 13500sqm Masters brand home improvement store stocking 35,000 products. This Woolworths-Lowe’s joint venture company will compete head to head with the new Costco venture at Canberra Airport. The ACT Chamber of Commerce says that the store wars will increase competition throughout the ACT. Shoppers will be delighted. The impacts on smaller home businesses operations haven’t been assessed because the airport is beyond the jurisdiction of the ACT government Continue reading »

City study for QIC ‘offensive, outrageous’

Business, City, Development, Home No Responses »

Aug 172011

Queensland Investment Corporation

Is the Queensland Investment Corporation’s Cooyong Street development another final nail in the coffin for existing small businesses in older Civic? The Council of Small Business (ACT) says yes it is. The ACT Chamber of Commerce and QIC say it isn’t. QIC have commissioned a small business impact statement, one of the statutory processes required by the ACT Planning and Land Authority as part of the development application. Those interested can download the impact statement and all of the other documents associated with development application 201129272 on the ACTPLA website.

Supermarket Planning Policy

Business, Home, Planning/Development No Responses »

Jul 182011

Recent articles just published in The Canberra Times reveal the extent to which the flawed ACT Goverment supermarket policy apparently led to a review of the ACT public service and its outcome: the present directorate structure. As reported earlier, developments at the Canberra International Airport with the advent of Costco and Woolworths have exposed the impotence of the ACT Government in attempting to promote supermarket competition. The ACT Government ignored previous Productivity Commission and Australian Competition and Consumer Commision studies in the construction of the policy and managed to earn the flack of the ACTPLA chief executive. Continue reading »

Canberra Airport supermarkets

Business, Home, Planning/Development No Responses »

Jul 042011

The ACT supermarket policy has just hit a roadblock with the announcement that Woolworths will join Costco in a major wholesale supermarket shakeup, after Canberra Airport was forced to look for a new tenant because of the continuing demise of Brand Depot. The only possible benefit to other supermarkets in the ACT from this development is that Costco might become an alternative wholesale supplier for smaller IGA’s and Supabarn in addition to Metcash, as well as Costco being a competitor to Woolworths in wholesale goods. A wide-ranging newspaper dialogue on this topic has just taken place.
Continue reading »

Fears change will spell curtains for traders

Business, Community, Home, Planning/Development No Responses »

Jun 232011

The Save Curtin Shops group holds grave concerns for the redevelopment of their local centre, starting with a proposed lease variation. The ACT Government has released a Commercial Zones Policy Review Paper for public comment due on July 5. The Curtin local centre example is pertinent to all suburbs with a local shopping centre. Continue reading »