Aldi “significant”

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Aldi “significant”

Welcome: Cr Nigel Hutchinson-Brooks discusses the new Leongatha Aldi Supermarket with Select Planners representative Jarrah Lukjanov following a briefing to council.

ALDI’S Leongatha supermarket project is regarded as one “of significance” by South Gippsland Shire Council.

And because of that, shire planning director Phil Stone has delegated a team to deal with it.

He said recently he hopes the planning application will be fast tracked in a month.

In that event, the supermarket will be ready by year’s end.

It will provide 22 full time jobs during construction, 20 effective full time positions when it opens and other jobs through the supply chain.

Billed as a $6.5 million project, the supermarket itself will cost $5.3m.

Jarrah Lukjanov principal planner with Select Planners briefed councillors about the project last Wednesday. He was accompanied by Aldi property director Bernadette Gooda.

Just before he was introduced, an alarm sounded in the council chamber as if to underscore the import of the presentation.

Unfazed, Mr Lukjanov expounded on the benefits to Leongatha of one of Aldi’s new style supermarkets. This will be the third in a more modern design.

All the supermarket’s plant will be housed in a “tower” at the Roberts Lane end of the building, creating, Mr Lukjanov stressed, as little noise as possible.

One of the supermarket site’s neighbours questioned him about night time truck deliveries, leaving the briefing little soothed by his responses.

Asked by The Star if there was any hope of including an existing Illawarra Flame Tree, listed in the shire’s Significant Tree Register in the supermarket’s car park, Mr Lukjanov said “no”.

However, when Cr Bob Newton queried whether a similar tree could be incorporated in Aldi’s landscape plan, Mr Lukjanov agreed to discuss it with the company’s landscape architect.

Destruction of the significant tree doesn’t thrill Dave Sutton of the South Gippsland Conservation Society which helped set up the register.

“It’s disappointing. I’ve looked at the Aldi plans and there is no landscaping of any significance. It doesn’t do much for town character.

“Council just accepts what developers want to do.”

Mr Lukjanov described Aldi as “a destinational retailer” which would attract people from outside the area, as well as support the town centre.

He said a basket of Aldi groceries was cheaper than at other supermarkets and a key benefit would be that with an Aldi nearby, other supermarkets tend to cut their prices by five per cent.

“This can only be a positive story.”

Aldi will build on the corner of Church and Bruce streets, directly opposite IGA. The supermarket will back onto Gaudion Lane. There will be 86 car spaces which, Mr Lukjanov pointed out, was “eight above the required rate”. Two will be for the disabled.

Mayor Cr Kieran Kennedy asked if there could be more, given the town’s ageing population.

“There is an opportunity to be innovative,” Mr Lukjanov replied, “we’d be happy to put line marking down (indicating) for seniors only.”

He said he would be happy to talk with the neighbours at the right time in the planning process.

Mr Stone said council would be contacting neighbours this week.

Mr Lukjanov agreed there would be some noise impact from truck deliveries, but said they wouldn’t use reverse beepers at night and there would not be incessant truck movements because Aldi uses its own vehicles and drivers fanning out from its Dandenong distribution centre. Unloading will take place within the site and the turnaround time is 45 minutes.

Describing herself as “a proud Aldi shopper” Cr Lorraine Brunt said the supermarket would “stop the haemorrhaging we’re experiencing – this will be the start of good things for Leongatha”.

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Posted by on May 7 2013. Filed under Business, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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