Aldi tipped to go head to head with Woolies as Redland Bay centre plans revealed

Supermarket wars for shopper domination on Brisbane’s bayside are about to step up a level after revelations a major discount supermarket chain will be the main tenant for a new shopping complex at Redland Bay. Watch the VIDEO

Two entry and exits are proposed for School of Arts Rd. Picture: Judith Kerr

Supermarket wars for shopper domination on Brisbane’s bayside are about to step up a level after revelations discount supermarket chain Aldi has been tipped as the main tenant for a planned grocery store complex at Redland Bay.

Developer MPR Properties No. 2 has lodged plans with Redland City Council to develop vacant land on a traffic island fronting Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd, the main state arterial.

Plans submitted to the council in February showed the 2087 sqm site would include a small-format 1737 sqm supermarket, with 350 sqm designated for three specialty shops such as a cafe, takeaway food, hairdresser, bakery or liquor store.

Parking for 105 cars was included in the plans, which showed two entry and exit points for vehicles from School of Arts Rd and one vehicle entry point from Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd.

The proposed shopping complex at Redland Bay, with Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd at the bottom of the image; German Church Rd on the left and School of Arts Rd on the right near the houses.

A new traffic slip lane would have to be built on the southbound carriageway of Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd for vehicles turning left into the complex.

Aldi was unavailable for comment. But documents submitted to council showed the German-based supermarket chain had “expressed interest” in the site, which bordered German Church Rd.

Woolworths opened a full-line supermarket in Redland Bay Village in May 2022, booting the longstanding IGA from the area, claiming it was necessary to cater for the 10,000 people expected to move into the suburb’s Shoreline housing estate.

Melbourne company Deep End Services conducted an economic assessment of the area to determine the need for a third major grocery retailer in Redland Bay.

Its 42-page report “assumed” Aldi was secured as the tenant and expected trading to start as early as 2024-25.

The vacant block runs between the main Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd and School of Arts Rd and German Church Rd. Picture: Judith Kerr

In the report, director Chris Abery found the high-profile 7511 sqm “island” site was well connected to the central and southern residential areas of Redland Bay, Mount Cotton and the emerging Shoreline housing estate.

The report said the nearest competition to the proposed Aldi complex was a 500 sqm IGA complex at Rededge, 900m east at Redland Heights and built in 2007.

“Other competitors are the Woolworths-based Redland Bay Village, which is 2km to the northeast, the recently extended Mount Cotton Central with Supa IGA, which is 5km west and the two Woolworths and multiple supermarkets at Victoria Point, 4.5km north,” the report said.

“Most centres appear to be trading well in the captive coastal market, with strong population growth.

“Shop vacancy levels across the centres is low at 3 per cent and there is no vacant commercial land in the Redland Bay area large enough to support an ALDI store and no known or pending approvals for retail expansion of any scale.

“A future town centre at Shoreline, south of Redland Bay, is unlikely within the next 10 years.”

Town planners JFP Urban Consultants appraised the site and the designs and recommended Redland City Council approve the shops.

Redland Bay is a growth area which is currently only serviced by Woolworths and a small IGA.

An acoustic report found noise levels would satisfy the council’s assessment criteria on the condition that truck deliveries and forklift use was limited to 7am to 6pm and garbage trucks only operate at the site between 7am and 6pm.

A traffic impact assessment by engineers Lambert & Rehbein found there would be no need to upgrade traffic lights at the nearby German Church Rd intersection as traffic from the proposed shops would increase delays at the lights by less than 5 per cent.

The traffic report predicted the total trips in and out of the centre in the morning would be 218 and in the afternoon 231 with weekend having 306 trips.

However, the plans still have to be approved by the council and the state government, which regulates developments on its main roads.

In March, the State Assessment and Referral Agency called for more information about access and safety into the site from Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd.

The state said a traffic impact report did not include a safety risk assessment, a road safety audit, a functional layout plan of proposed access roads, or justification for a slip road from the state-controlled road.

MPR Properties No 2 directors Anthony James Pollock and David Peter McIntosh have until September to lodge the requested information with the state government.

Originally published as Aldi tipped to go head to head with Woolies as Redland Bay centre plans revealed