‘We expect the base building construction to be complete by the end of April’: New IGA to be built soon

FIVE months after Tennant Creek’s only supermarket was destroyed in a fire, owners of IGA have revealed when a new supermarket will open

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TENNANT Creek could have a new “significantly improved” supermarket by August 2021, with reconstruction due to start in the new year after the town’s only supermarket was destroyed in a fire in July.

Chief executive of IBA Retail Asset Management (IRAM) – who manages the IGA – John Kop said the new store would be “something the community will be proud of” with site demolition and preparation for the reconstruction of the Tennant Creek supermarket due to start soon with tenders out.

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“We expect the base building construction to be complete by the end of April. This includes the new supermarket, as well as a new roof for other tenancies in the complex which were damaged by the fire,” he said.

“We will then start work on the internal IGA fit-out and refrigeration works and expect to re-open in August.”

Drawings showing the future redesigned IGA.

Drawings showing the future redesigned IGA.

Mr Kop said the Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation and Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) – who are each 50 per cent shareholders in the Tennant Creek IGA supermarket and BP Complex – had contributed more than $600,000 towards establishing the relief store.

“The relief store now stocks 5500 of the original 10,000 items offered at our permanent store,” he said.

A range of goods is also available 24-hours a day at the BP Complex, at supermarket prices.

Mr Kop said store prices remained competitive with those of the major supermarkets and offered regular in store specials, which are advertised in the Tennant and District Times and on the Tennant Creek IGA and BP Facebook pages.

“We have been able to keep up regular supplies of grocery items, meat, dairy, freezer lines and fresh fruit and vegetables which are delivered twice a week direct from the Adelaide market. We also receive fresh bread daily from Darwin Monday to Friday,” he said.

The store’s range continues to expand, with the installation of smallgoods fridges, a stand-alone chilled juice refrigerator and separate milk refrigerator.

BP barista Dean Glavocich with the new line marking at Tennant Creek's IGA

Tennant Creek IGA staff members. PHOTO: Tennant Creek and District Times

Security has been substantially upgraded at the 24-hour BP Service Station as a result of recent incidents of vandalism.

“We have received tremendous support from Julalikari, Coles, Woolworths, the Lhere Artepe IGA in Alice Springs and local company Dexter Barnes who have contributed shelving, refrigeration and other services to allow the relief store to gradually expand its range,” Mr Kop said.

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Mr Kop thanked the community and teams behind the businesses who he said have “worked under enormous pressure in difficult circumstances to maintain food security in Tennant Creek and the Barkly Region over the past six months”.

Bush orders and home delivery services are operating as usual. Customers are reminded to provide advance notice of larger orders so they can be included in deliveries from Adelaide. For bush orders to call Marianne on 0498 090 976.

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