Orchid a bloomin’ pest for Woolies

Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has killed off Woolworths’ plans for an expansion of a distribution centre in an industrial area near Wyong over concerns it could harm a rare orchid.

The Wyong sun orchid. Picture: Mark Clements

Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has killed off Woolworths’ plans for an expansion of a distribution centre in an industrial area near Wyong over concerns it could harm a rare orchid.

The supermarket giant had planned to increase the size of a regional distribution centre on the NSW central coast, which dominates an industrial precinct between the Pacific Motorway and the Warnervale airport, but will now have to rethink that strategy in the wake of the minister’s decision.

Ms Plibersek made her decision to block the expansion in mid-December, with her declaration that the development would have “clearly unacceptable impacts” on the environment made public last week.

The decision was made just three days before Ms Plibersek vetoed the linchpin of Victoria’s offshore wind strategy by declaring a proposed terminal at the Port of Hastings posed an “unacceptable” risk to local wetlands.

When Woolworths first announced the plans, local Labor MP David Harris said the project would create another 240 permanent jobs at the site, and more during construction.

The existing Woolworths distribution centre at Wyong covers around 23 hectares. The proposed redevelopment would have expanded that disturbance footprint by just over another 5ha, of which 1.5ha would have impacted on the endangered Thelymitra adorata, or Wyong Sun Orchid.

The deep blue orchid is classified as critically endangered, and is thought to grow only in a small area of just 10 sqkm on the NSW central coast.

But the flower was identified among the exotic grass outside the Woolworths distribution centre in Wyong, and that was ultimately enough to prompt the minister to scuttle Woolworths’ plans.

Woolworths’ redevelopment would have added new internal truck access roads, as well as new hardstand areas, ambient warehouses, carpark and truck facilities.

Woolworths had previously said the redevelopment would increase the range and improve the quality and freshness of products available in its stores, while also reducing the transport movements in and out of the site.

The proposal had not received any community pushback, according to regulatory documents filed by Woolworths, with not one concern raised about the project during a community consultation process in 2022.

The site was originally described by consultants for Woolworths as unlikely to host the Wyong Sun Orchid, given the “development site has been significantly disturbed … such that suitable habitat is not present”.

But the NSW Biodiversity and Conservation Division in June that year recommended Woolworths carry out a survey of the site for the orchid.

In November 2022, the Department of Planning and Environment wrote to Woolworths to say the department “understands that a rare orchid was recently found at the development site”, and was seeking confirmation whether a referral to federal environmental regulators was required as a result.

Woolworths declined to comment on the decision.

Ms Plibersek is away on leave.