Issues related to Business, Economic Development. Tourism & Industrial Relations

Giralang shops redevelopment announcement and wider implications for local shops

On 17 August 2011 the ACT Planning Minister used his call-in powers to approve the contentious redevelopment of the Giralang local shopping centre. The spokeman for the 40 or so independent supermarket operators comprising the Independent Retailers Group has issued a veiled threat to take the decision to the Supreme Court (reported in The Canberra Times 29 August 2011). Criteria 33 in the current Territory Plan requires a development application to take regard of significant impacts on other commercially viable local centres.

Shoppers tipped to win as retail heavyweights face off at Majura

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

City study for QIC ‘offensive, outrageous’

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

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.

Canberra Airport supermarkets

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.

Canberra Times: Prime commercial sites passed in at Civic auctions (22 June 2010)

The following article has been reproduced from the Canberra Times: Prime commercial sites passed in at Civic auctions JOHN THISTLETON A glut of commercial development space in Canberra and fears of a legal challenge over a planning amendment on City Hill are being blamed for two premium development blocks at Civic being passed in at auction yesterday. Billed as ”sensational”, ”the pulse of the city” and the ”city’s ultimate address”, the London Circuit car park sites failed to meet the ACT Government’s reserve price.

ABC News: Little interest in Civic building sites (22 June 2010)

The following article has been reproduced from the ABC News website: Little interest in Civic building sites The ACT Government’s land and property services expert says he was surprised by the lack of national interest from property developers in the auction of two key city sites yesterday. The two sites on London Circuit which failed to sell in the auction yesterday are currently under a 48 hour negotiation process with local developers. Bidding started slowly and inched towards $5.25 million and $8.6 million for the respective blocks, well below the expected prices. A similar inner city car park site sold …

Outdoor Cafe Policy goes out to public consultation (closing 25 June 2010)

The Office of Regulatory Services (ORS) exercises certain responsibilities under the Roads and Public Places Act 1937. Among these responsibilities is the issuing of outdoor cafe permits. The Outdoor Cafe Policy (the Policy) sets out guidelines on the permit application process, appropriate clearance zones for footpaths and furniture, and other information on the conditions of use for an outdoor cafe permit. The Policy’s main objective is to maximise the benefits between outdoor cafe areas and other public uses of unleased territory land in the ACT. The Policy is currently under review and has been released for public comment. The ORS …