New Bunnings planned for Marion Rd, Bedford Park as documents reveal the millions the outlet would take

A new Bunnings in Adelaide’s south would bring in a massive amount of cash for the chain, but plans have highlighted closing the Marion store could bring in even more.

Marion Bunnings would lose about $10m a year – or could shut down – if a huge new Bunnings outlet was built in Adelaide’s southern suburbs under a land rezoning proposal.

Bunning Properties has applied to change the zoning on a huge empty corner site the corner of the Southern Expressway and Marion Rd, in Bedford Park, to allow a bulky goods store, plus fast food restaurant and petrol station.

A $15.7m, 15,000 sqm Bunnings would be built, creating more than 300 full-time and indirect jobs during and after construction, the plans show, while a large format showroom store is a second option.

The land near the Warriparinga wetlands – currently zoned as urban neighbourhood, with some retail – would need to be rezoned as employment land to allow the store to proceed.

Plans show an Elders aged-care village, with retail, could be built next to the Bunnings in the future.

The land that would need to be rezoned under a plan for a new Bunnings at Bedford Park, alongside the Southern Expressway. Supplied

They also reveal the proposed new Bunnings would take in about $50m a year.

Option 1B – closing Marion – would transfer most of the business to the new Bedford Park store.

‘With Marion Bunnings remaining open (option 1A), the proposed Bedford Park Bunnings is estimated to achieve sales in the order of $41m,” the documents say.

The land that would need to be rezoned under a plan for a new Bunnings at Bedford Park, alongside the Southern Expressway. Supplied

“Bunnings Bedford Park sales will be higher if Bunnings Marion closes (option 1B), with a portion of the existing store sales likely to be diverted to the new store on the subject site.

“The projected sales for Bedford Park Bunnings is therefore higher in this scenario, at $50m.

The plans warn nearby hardware stores would be affected by the new store “particularly those situated closer to the subject site”.

“The largest dollar impacts are expected at South Road, Melrose Park which also includes a

large Bunnings Warehouse (losing $7.8m) and South Road, Clovelly Park which includes

Stratco ($4.3m).

“Other precincts with no hardware store (Westfield Marion) will also experience a small impact as other stores in these precincts sell items commonly stocked in Bunnings.”

However, the documents say there’s a demand for bulky good stores in the area and the new outlet “would not result in unreasonable reductions in sales levels for other existing centres or precincts.

The plans warn nearby land has profound cultural significance for the Kaurna people, with a listed heritage site adjacent to the Sturt River, and a high risk of encountering cultural materials during construction.

Public submissions close September 7.

Bunnings was contacted for comment.

Originally published as New Bunnings planned for Marion Rd, Bedford Park as documents reveal the millions the outlet would take