Safeway shelved

By Tania Martin
TWELVE months of intense speculation over a proposed Safeway supermarket development in Emerald has been laid to rest after it was last week confirmed that it wasn’t going ahead.
Woolworths Limited corporate communications officer Natalie Faber-Castell, said that Safeway currently has no plans for a supermarket in Emerald.
This comes after months of rumours in Emerald that the multi-national company was going to be opening a supermarket in the town.
It has also been rumoured that the reasons that the Safeway development was not proceeding was due to a lack of growth in the area.
Woolworths has neither confirmed or denied this, but Ms Faber-Castell said there are many factors involved in choosing a site and that area growth is one of them.
Emerald Village Committee (EVC) chairman Simon Wildes said it was not surprising that the proposed supermarket would not go ahead as the town is a green wedge area that restricts both commercial and residential development.
Mr Wildes said the EVC wants to protect the environment of the town and wants any future development to be closely monitored and controlled to ensure it reflects what the community needs.
He said that most Emerald people are proud of the township and are happy to limit growth, but that its only essential requirement is to maintain ready access to essential services.
Mr Wildes said the fact that a multi-national company has not decided to develop in Emerald has not affected the township’s morale.
But he said the town’s morale was being affected by the perception that the town was not receiving a fair share of council funding.
“I am not criticising Cardinia Council, but it is the community perception and the EVC needs to change those perceptions either through helping to secure more funding with the new councillors, or proving that Emerald is getting its fair share,” he said.
Mr Wildes said the addition of a large supermarket development like Safeway was not the type of growth the people of Emerald and local businesses were looking for.
He said the IGA Supermarket was also expanding and that there would be no room for another large complex.
“I would prefer to see growth and development in community service options like the Emerald Library, entertainment options for the community, and shopping and tourist options to increase the local employment market,” Mr Wildes said.
Mr Wildes said the EVC was also considering several projects that will increase the community’s options.
For instance, he said developing part of Pepi’s Paddock for community use, supporting Gemco to build a new community arts centre, and undertaking studies of the local traffic to improve the townships traffic flow.
He said that the EVC was also taking a leading role with the council on developing the new Emerald strategy which would enable the future developments in Emerald to deliver what the community needs.
Mr Wildes said Emerald has not been standing still over the past few years.
“We have had several new businesses open their doors and several new facilities being developed such as a new gymnasium, child-care facility and new shops to be built opposite the fire station.
“We choose to live in this part of the Dandenong Ranges as a lifestyle choice based around the natural environment, open spaces for our children, village feel and small community links that can be built,” Mr Wildes said.