Blackwood business owners upset at plans for new $5.6 million Aldi supermarket

TRADERS are upset about plans for a $5.6 million Aldi supermarket in the Hills, saying they were not given enough time to have a say on the proposal.

Totally Locally Blackwood head Heather Holmes-Ross with husband Jonathan at their Artisan Cafe. Picture: AAP/Brenton Edwards

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BUSINESS owners are angry about plans for a $5.6 million Aldi supermarket in Blackwood, saying they were not given enough time to have a say on the proposal.

Traders around the proposed supermarket — at Blackwood Village shopping centre on Main Rd — said the 10-business day consultation period was too short and not enough businesses were even notified of Aldi’s plans.

The development application for the supermarket at 200 Main Rd — where a small group of shops already exists — was lodged with the government’s new State Commission Assessment Panel early last month, but was made publicly available only in the past fortnight.

It was declared a category two development, meaning only the landowner and residents within 60m of the development had to be contacted for consultation.

“The whole process stinks,” said Heather Holmes-Ross, head of the Totally Locally Blackwood traders’ group.

“The consultation time is only 10 business days.

“They chose to release it … with a long weekend in the middle of it, a grand final and parliament is not sitting so we couldn’t even get a petition together to take to parliament.”

The new Hawthorn Aldi, which opened in April on Belair Rd. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Small businesses in Blackwood were already struggling — and would face worse pressure if Aldi was approved, she said.

“Blackwood small businesses are under pressure because we do have quite high rents and quite attractive competition … at Mitcham and Stirling and Marion,” she said.

“The independents are mainly totally on edge as it is. It’s a really hard business climate in SA at the moment.”

Mitcham councillor Jane Bange said she had spoken to business owners in the Main Rd precinct and some were not aware of the Aldi plan.

“I think the very least that should have happened is the business owners should have been contacted by the State Government,” Cr Bange said.

“They’re very vulnerable and stressed at the moment.”

But Planning Minister John Rau said he had no issue with the way consultation had been conducted.

“The public notification category is determined by the nature of any proposed development and considered against the zoning rules in the council’s development plan,” Mr Rau said.

“The 10-business day (two-week) notification period for category two development is considered reasonable. The applicant has an equal period of 10 business days to respond to all representations made.”