Fears New Castlemaine Supermarket Will Knock Out “Whole Retail Strips” in The Mount Alexander Shire

 

A proposed new Woolworths supermarket in Castlemaine has been given the green light, despite it likely impacting the local economy. 

 

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled in favour of the construction of the supermarket this week, signalling work will go ahead at the intersection of Urquhart, Duke, Forest streets. 

 

The developer, Lascorp Investment Group Pty Ltd, now holds a permit to build on the more than 3,300 square metre block of land. It’s believed the supermarket will be a Woolworths.

 

A Facebook group, called Size Matters, has been set up in opposition to the project. 

 

Residents voicing their disappointment said the ruling is “not the one that many of us were hoping for”. 

 

Spokesperson for the group, Kaye Swanton said Castlemaine residents will face unprecedented traffic congestion during construction. 

 

“While we recognise that many residents will welcome this decision, we also remain concerned about how such a large supermarket will impact on smaller, locally owned businesses in the core of the Castlemaine CBD.” 

 

“We’ve seen examples of these big stores knocking out whole local retail strips in regional areas,” Ms Swanton said. 

 

Image: Supplied.