The Mullumbimby Community voice of concern via the Mullumbimby Community Action Network and the NSW Department of Planning voice of approval, through the ” Mullumbimby Supermarket Approved after thorough assessment ” media release are two completely different stories.
They should serve as a warning to many small communities in the Mt Warning Caldera Region of NE NSW and SE QLD, Australia.
Mullumbimby is a beautiful, at times flood prone town that lies on the Brunswick River. Mullumbimby township supports many artists, farmers, families ( who honour the rights of future generations of children to live in an environmentally sustainable community), pensioners, people with disabilities and active community members. It’s town centre is a peaceful thoroughfare and commerce hub that serves regional families and businesses.
The people of Mullumbimby, through the Mullumbimby Community Action Network, have spoken clearly to voice their lack of support and disapproval of the building of a Woolworths Supermarket within the location targeted by the Supermarket giant Woolworths. Woolworths, if built in Mullumbimby, will bring with it a number of extra corporate strengths to this peaceful rural town.
- Corporate credit
- more plastic (- NO – not the bags they pack your stuff in – the plastic that is around all their products - fresh, processed and pre-packed such as meats, vegies, breads and many imported products) that will end up in drains, recycling, land fill, animals digestive systems, food chains etc
- more traffic as delivery trucks, regional shoppers taking advantage of the hours of operation of the supermarket
- sewerage “the wet weather storage and (required) stringent monitoring and management of the irrigations system … to prevent effluent runoff; and the pumping out of effluent and its removal to Tweed which is illegal in the Byron Shire (Council Policy No. 5.59) which would set a precedent for other potential inappropriate development.” (from Mullumbimby Action Group letter to NSW Premier Nathan Rees, The Honourable Kristina Keneally NSW Minister for Planning, Ms Paula Tomkins)
- Mullumbimby Town and regional Heritage visual IMPACT
This Planning Right of Way by the NSW Department of Planning appears to be on the side of the Woolworths giant ( which is also a large owner of Poker Machines in Australia) in this Far North Coast Region of New South Wales, Australia.
The building of this Woolworths Supermarket may herald future NSW Government condoned development expansion and rough riding over local community well being.
The bluecray vision is that cultural, community, commonsense, environmental and social support return this planning right of way back to the town people of Mullumbimby.
And so, if you care about how government and corporate power uses “behind the scenes” practices and economies of scale to lever socially and environmentally undesired and harmful projects on to small rural communities, then please go to the Mullumbimby Community Action Network homepage and give the community your support.
Byron Shire Echo Article by David Lovejoy “Woolworths blocked at the drain” 16th June 2009 for an update on events
Sydney Morning Herald Article : 28th September 2009 “Woolies forced to explain pokie business”
