Fears for business as Coles push divides town

A Coast business owner doesn’t think her takeaway will survive if a new shopping hub proposed for her town goes ahead.

Beerwah businesses speak out on proposed shopping centre.

A Coast business owner doesn't think her takeaway will survive if a new shopping hub proposed for her town goes ahead.

Coles Group Property Developments lodged plans with Sunshine Coast Council last year for a Coles supermarket, McDonald's restaurant, petrol station, retail showroom, gym and light industry development.

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Neddy's Nosebag takeaway and cafe owner Lesley Wooler said the development would be detrimental to the whole of Beerwah.

"I feel like a lot of people will lose their jobs on this side of town because a lot of stuff will go over there," Ms Wooler said.

"A lot of little shops will close down on this side of town because people shop in big centres and not little shops.

"I personally don't think that I would survive."

Hers was just one of more than 50 public submissions made to the council regarding the proposal at the corner of Roys Rd and Steve Irwin Way.

Only 17 submissions were supportive of the project with 42 objections.

However only 41 submissions in total were recognised by the council as properly submitted.

A council spokesman said the proposal was undergoing detailed assessment.

"A report will be prepared for determination of the application at a future council meeting."

Businesses within the town were divided in their opinions so the Daily took to the streets of Beerwah to find out why.

Hinterland Body and Soul Beauty Therapy owner Shannon Greenwood said she was against the position of the centre, not the project as a whole.

"Simply because I think it's in the wrong place, I think it should be in our community where everyone can be there," Mrs Greenwood said.

"People won't come into our community if it's built out there on Steve Irwin Way, there's land here in town I think it should be bought in so everybody can have access to it."

Around the corner at the Boho Bean Cafe, owner Gillian Halls said progress was inevitable.

"I believe that change and growth is going to happen no matter who protests it and how many people kick up a stink," Ms Halls said.

"If you've got a good enough business people will come back to you anyway so I don't think it's going to hurt the businesses as much as people are worried about."

Edge Salon Beerwah owner Jenna Crane.

Edge Salon Beerwah owner Jenna Crane said Beerwah was a growing town.

"I think it was always going to be part of what was going to happen to the area," Ms Crane said.

"Ultimately, we can't really do anything about it, so we just need to be able to accommodate these things and hopefully what that means is more people are going to come to Beerwah as well.

"It will translate into more business for us, that's what our hope will be."

Beerwah Newsagency owner Les Townsend said the proposal had some merit.

"I don't think now's the right time for it and I don't think that's the right place for it, I think there's far better places they could put it if they were going to do it in the future," Mr Townsend said.

"There's empty shops around the place now, we can't fill what's here so why build something of that size.

"Keeping the shopping centres together is more the way to go."

Beerwah Hair and Beauty's Vicki Heading said she thought it was a great thing for the town.

"People will start staying in town to shop instead of going down the Coast," Ms Heading said.

"I think more people will live here if there's more shops and you don't have to travel to do your shopping."

Hola Mexicano owner Carole Stoner.

Hola Mexicano owner Carole Stoner said she didn't have any objections to the homemaker centre.

"I don't mind, sorry, Ms Stoner said.

"I just think Beerwah is growing and people like diversity, choice and freedom.

"People got upset when I opened the Mexican here and I couldn't understand, I think we can all compliment each other."

Fellow takeaway owner Gurpreat Sran said he wanted to see new businesses come in but was not sure how they would remain viable.

"This is not a very big community here and not a very big population living here so I think it's unjust for the businesses opening there," Mr Sran said.

"There will be a lot of competition again and it's very hard to survive in these Covid times and it will definitely get hard if any new businesses come in."

Cignal Beerwah owner Satker Baddam.

Cignal Beerwah's Satker Baddam said it wasn't the best idea for the area.

"I don't think it's quite good for this area because it is a small town and there is already a big shopping centre here and the small businesses will be affected because of the Coles," Mr Baddam said.

"There's already a big shopping centre 20km away and a few people go there."

The Healthy Guru's Denese Brooks said she believed it would divide Beerwah.

"Everybody works together here, so it's sort of going to be a separate shopping area," Ms Brooks said.

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