Supa IGA for Wollongbar

WOLLONGBAR will soon get a supermarket three times the size of its existing one, after a Supa IGA store was approved by the Ballina Shire Council yesterday.

Da approved: An artist’s drawing of the new Supa IGA supermarket approved yesterday for Wollongbar.

WOLLONGBAR will soon get a supermarket three times the size of its existing one, after a Supa IGA store was approved by the Ballina Shire Council yesterday.

Cr David Wright said it was ‘something that has been needed for a long time’ in a community that would only continue to grow.

“It’s going to add vitality to Wollongbar,” he said.

“It will certainly help the existing businesses, except the existing IGA – it won’t help them.

“But a new supermarket really is something the people of Wollongbar want.”

The 2000sqm supermarket will be built on the old Bellowing Bull site.

It will include up to five specialty shops, althoughtenants for those outlets have not yet been decided, and more than 100 car parks.

Addressing councillors at yesterday’s meeting, IGA spokesman Jon Brooker said the Wollongbar supermarket was an ‘unusual case’.

“Normally developers buy a site and come to us,” he said.

“But with the global financial crisis we have seen the need to develop our own sites.”

Much of the talk amongst councillors yesterday focused on what IGA could do to prevent trolleys from escaping on to the Bruxner Highway, which is still expected to be a busy road even when the Alstonville bypass is finished.

It was decided the supermarket would be required to implement a coin or token-operated lock-up system,similar to the one used by Aldi stores.

Another concern has been the possible detrimental effects on the existing IGA, which is much smaller than the proposed supermarket.

But the developers told council an ‘amicable commercial agreement’ had now been reached.

They said the two supermarkets would provide the opportunity for both weekly and ‘top up’ shopping in Wollongbar.

Originally published as Supa IGA for Wollongbar