Page 1928 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 14 May 2013
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bringing forward this variation. The changes proposed in the variation will indeed be a great boost to the Dickson group centre. The variation provides the opportunity for new development at the Dickson centre which will benefit local businesses and certainly will benefit the residents of the inner north.
As part of variation 311, section 30 of block 21 will be developed for a full-line supermarket and for an ALDI supermarket. For members who are unfamiliar with the area, this is the block between the Dickson library and the existing Woolworths, which is currently used as a car park. The block is being sold through a tender process for the development of both a full-line supermarket and an ALDI supermarket.
On 22 February this year, the preferred respondents to an expression of interest process were invited to tender for the site. Tenders close on 30 May this year. The selection of the preferred tenderer is to occur by 15 June and it is anticipated that the sale process will be finalised within weeks of the tender process closing.
This project, Madam Deputy Speaker, it is fair to say, is enthusiastically supported—some would say fervently supported—by those who have spent many hours of their lives standing in line at Dickson Woolworths. This addition of supermarket competition in Dickson will bring a greater variety of shopping options for residents of the surrounding area, more parking and certainly more residents to the Dickson group centre.
The development will more than double the car parking currently available on the site and will also include a residential component above the retail. This is, in fact, commonplace now in Dickson. Previous developments in the group centre have involved that mixed use development and it has worked exceptionally well.
Many people, myself included, have long complained about the lack of competition in supermarkets at Dickson. It is fantastic to see progress towards a second full-line supermarket and an ALDI—so three supermarkets in the Dickson group centre to ensure that shoppers in the inner north have more choice. There is no doubt that the presence of an ALDI helps lower costs amongst the nearby supermarkets. Those who have lived in the inner north for an extended period of time would be aware that Dickson Woolworths is one of the busiest in the country. Anyone who has spent time waiting in line there will certainly understand and acknowledge this. There is a need and demand for new supermarkets in Dickson.
The variation that the planning minister has tabled today has the potential to encourage other retailers to expand and locate in Dickson and for other businesses to see this precinct as a great opportunity to relocate or to redevelop and renew their existing businesses in the area. It will bring new shoppers to the group centre and revitalise Dickson.
The government acknowledges the particular need to ensure adequate parking during the redevelopment phase. Arrangements will be made to ensure that there is additional car parking available in the group centre. In particular, an analysis of the short-term parking options available in Dickson identified a number of additional sites that could be utilised for replacement parking during the construction phase of the development.
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