Eastern Road Precinct

Current action

Step 1 - Email Alister Henskens

 

Mr Alister Henskens, MP      

kuringgai@parliament.nsw.gov.au

 

Locked Bag 2, Kings Cross NSW 1340

 

 

Let our local State member know how we feel.

Keep all letters to the point and based on facts. We want people to know how we feel not waste their time.

 

Key points that you may want to mention include:

 

Council unamiously rejected Aldi's proposal 10 -0 

The independent council report was highly critical of the Aldi proposal 

The bulk and scale is completely out of character with the local area

Not in the community interest - many thousands of people have said so

Contravenes council planning rules introduced in April 2015 in the KLEP

Current infrastructure completely inadequate and the increase in traffic will be dangerous for nearby kindergarten, swim school and school children.

Serious risk to the viability of the local Eastern Rd shops

Survey indicates 97% of people say this is not an appropriate location

 

Put simply - this is the wrong location.

 

 

 

Step 1 notes

 

 

As Aldi have applied for a pre-gateway review, the process now will be drawn out over the next 8 to 10 months.

We have come up with a 4 step plan of how best to continue our campaign against Aldi. 

There will be three emails/letters for everyone to send at various intervals plus we will be arranging a meeting with the Planning Minister. 

The steps are:

 

1. Email Alister Henskens

2. Arrange meeting with Planning Minister via Alister Henskens

3. Email Heads of the Planning Department

4. Email Planning Minister Rob Stokes

 

 

We have spoken to a number of people who have worked with the Government before and this is the best approach. As it is drawn out, we need to space out our campaign but keep the pressure on.

While this is going on, the JRPP (Joint Regional Planning Panel) will be assessing the application. No matter what the result of the JRPP, this will be going to the Planning Minister Rob Stokes.

 

With such a long process, Aldi are relying on us to stop fighting. Please make sure you send these emails and don't rely on everyone else (we need 1000 emails to be sent)

 

 

 

Let's start writing again.

 

 

 

 

 

Aldi Survey

 

Aldi have been conducting their own survey but have been asking to speak to people under 38 years.

To put this in context, Ku-ring-gai's age demographics are:

Under 20 - 28.6%

20-37 - 18.4%

Over 38 - 52.9%

 

So Aldi's results are confined to approx 18% of Ku-ring-gai residents - hardly a relevent survey.

 

 

Our survey

 

Click here to see our survey results

 

 

 

What Alister Henskens (Local State member for Ku-ring-gai) has said

 

 

"I have met with Turramurra butcher Alan Waldon about his and other local business owner concerns about the proposed ALDI development on Eastern Road. I am on the record as saying I don't believe this is the right location for it." - on Alister's offical facebook page

 

 

"I addressed a public meeting at the weekend attended by hundreds of people concerned by ALDI's proposal to establish a supermarket on Eastern Road at Turramurra. I reiterated that I am not at all opposed to Aldi's presence in Ku-ring-gai, just the planned location" -

Alister about his speech at the Bush school 9th Sept.

 

 

From Alister's maiden speech to parliament 7th May 2015- click here to view the full speech

 

"The butchers, fruiterers and other shop owners in our local shopping strips in Ku-ring-gai say that they are on the edge of oblivion after having traded successfully for 20 years or more. Despite their better products they need the help of government and, critically, the backing of our community if they are going to survive. If we want to keep the character of our suburbs intact, the community needs to consciously support our local retailers and take more time to shop with them. It will greatly assist our self-employed local business owners who work very hard and have put everything on the line for their businesses."

 

"Our current laws allow too much monopolistic and oligopolistic behaviour in our State, which is stifling competition, creating higher prices overall and damaging small business. When speaking with small business people in Ku-ring-gai I found that they expressed their belief that large retailers in this State are distorting the supply chains and engaging in predatory pricing to try to put them out of business"

 

 

 

Stage 1 - Local Government

Write letters

Let the councillors, council planning staff, local State member and the Planning Minister know how you feel.

Keep all letters to the point and based on facts. We want people to know how we feel not waste their time.

 

Key points from the meeting that you may want to mention include:

 

Totally inappropriate location for a large international supermarket

Contravenes council planning rules introduced in April 2015 in the KLEP

Currently zoned R2 Low Density Residential

Eastern Road Shops are designted as a Neighbourhood centre

Aldi belongs in a Local centre or Town centre

Current infrastructure completely inadequate

Increase in traffic will be dangerous for nearby kindergarten, swim school and school children.

Serious risk to the viability of Eastern Rd shops

Completely out of character with the community feel of the area

 

Get involved. How can you help?