Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Made in China

The residents of the village of Maleny are sitting in trees attempting to prevent bulldozers clearing the land to build a supermarket.

Maleny is a ‘quaint’ village in the Blackall Ranges, 80km north of Brisbane. In addition to the 'longer serving' residents, the small holders, horticulturalists, artists and basket-weavers, it is also inhabited by ex-city types, fleeing the suburbs and the 9-5 to run tea shops and cuckoo clock shops for tourists.

By all accounts it is a happy, peri-rural community that has managed to retain some bohemian charm despite the influx of wealth.

Local systems of non-monetary exchange and a range of independent retailers (including a grocer that sources locally) have emerged, ensuring its ‘alternative’ label thrives.

But now a plot of land, adjacent to the Obi Obi Creek, is the cause of some controversy. The owners have leased it to Woolworths (supermarket) who wish to build a store on the site, right in the middle of the village. The locals are not at all happy.

Clearing of the site began suddenly last week, right before the locals took to the trees, under the watchful gaze of a surprisingly large police contingent.

(The State Government has actually intervened, holding up the clearing, but only because it is investigating whether the demolition company had the correct permits to knock over a few trees on the creek bank – not in opposition to the scheme in principle.)

The development of the creek bank site would also interfere with the local platypus population, already under pressure from developments up and down stream.

Back in December, Woolworths had put the scheme on hold. Aware of some local opposition, they went back to the community to 'consult'. Now they have listened they are going to build it anyway, as ‘similar sized stores, in similar sized towns had been profitable and successful’.

Every letter to the editor in local papers is opposed to the development and it would be remarkable if there was any wider support for the proposed development in and around the village at all.

So why is Woolworths continuing with the development if there is to be a focused, aggressive campaign against them? It is estimated that Woolworths would create 7 new jobs to the loss of 10: surely this means that the residents of Maleny would benefit from the improved efficiencies that bring their groceries to retail. The net loss of 3 jobs in every 10 is a small price to pay for what the consumer really wants: low prices. The developers (apart from this hiccup over a few trees) have all the necessary permits to build, having recently won an appeal against Caloundra City Council in the Planning and Environment Court.

Besides, many of trees were not natives anyway. It's not exactly pristine land.

Caloundra City Council had identified the site in its IPA (Integrated Planning Act) scheme (similat to the 'Local Plan' in UK) as an area for retail development. Therefore the developers could go ahead, provided they applied and subject to conditions.

But the conditions were pretty stringent and the appellant appealed on the grounds that the conditions (48 of them in all) represented a de facto refusal. (It was supposed to – the conditions on open space retention would have discounted one larger store, but would have allowed several smaller outlets.) The interim IPA scheme, against which the development was assessed, was a throwback from the ‘bad-old-days’ of Queensland development.

When other local retailers slowly slip by the wayside from the increased price (only) competition, what would be left: a monolithic grocer, sourcing produce internationally, employing staff on low wages and low skill; not to mention a huge retail development scarring the pleasant, slightly messy street-scape. But the store would be profitable, as there would be no choice on where people shopped.

So is this a case of extremist tree-huggers and wealthy NIMBYs versus a friendly high street store, just bringing lower prices to the community, or, is it a case of concerned residents seeking to retain a village atmosphere, open space and a few platypus against big faceless corporation profiteering?

Well that depends on whose press releases you read.

www.courts.qld.gov.au/qjudgment/QPEC%202003/QPEC03-042.pdf

But if it is any consolation to the concerned residents, this appeared this morning’s Courier-Mail:

“I AM sure the residents of Maleny will be able to find a platypus or two, once the Woolworths is built. They will find them stuffed, in Aisle 9, labelled ‘Made in China’.”

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