THE developers of Sunraysia’s biggest mixed-use project fear Mildura Rural City Council’s precinct plan for a large supermarket in its commercial centre could cripple the $150 million project.
Pinnacle Estate’s three directors, John Irwin, Bryan Byrnes and Sam Costantino, are “begging” for the council’s planners to meet with them over a key draft plan for Mildura South that would require a 2500m sq supermarket in their development.
Mr Irwin said a supermarket of that scale would be “doomed to failure” so close to other major supermarkets.
“It is totally out of proportion to the footprint of the people who will live in this area,” he said.
“We’re told that no Coles, Woolies or ALDI would build a store at those dimensions, given they have stores nearby (on Fifteenth Street).
“We believe a boutique-style supermarket, similar to Hill Street Grocers in Hobart, would work best on our site.
“It’s critical that we get this right – the anchor tenant – because the rest of the commercial side of the development will just flow from it.”
Sunraysia Daily can today reveal the extent of the massive project – which has been in the works for two years – on the corner of Sixteenth Street and Ontario Avenue.
Set across 67 acres, the Pinnacle Estate will include a 186-lot residential subdivision, specialist shops, a medical centre, village green, park, as well as a community and childcare centres.
Land in Stage 1 – which includes 29 lots, ranging from 400sqm to 741m sq – is already selling fast, with 20 blocks sold by Ray White Mildura.
However, it’s the planning process for the commercial centre – which includes 7000m sq of retail space – that is creating the biggest headache for the Pinnacle developers.
What they do on the site hinges on the Mildura South Neighbourhood Activity Centre (NAC) Masterplan, which is set to go out for a second round of community consultation before approval by the new councillors.
Drawn up by Melbourne consultants, it recommends the strict dimensions of what will be required in the Pinnacle commercial centre.
But Mr Irwin this week said the developers had been “shut out” of the planning negotiations.
“There is a refusal on council’s part to consult with us, the owners of the property,” he said.
“What we are begging for is to be consulted before plans get closer to the approval stage.
“This is the single biggest project in Sunraysia, and there’s too much at stake for not just us, but the whole community.”
Mr Irwin said he and Mildura’s most successful businessman, Ross Lake, met with council’s chief executive officer, Sarah Philpott, and community director Martin Hawson a year ago to raise their concerns about the NAC plan.
“Ross has three or four similar little community stores in Walnut and Ontario avenues. It’s mirror image of where we are,” he said.
“He pointed out to Martin and Sarah all the empty shops. He told them that their plans were a 1970s concept.
“And even following that meeting, there has been nothing further from them to us about what they are planning (for the NAC).”
In a written statement yesterday, Ms Philpott said the revised plans “have taken into consideration” the developer and general community’s feedback.
“The intention of the Mildura South Neighbourhood Activity Centre is to service a population of between 8000 and 10,000 over the next 10 to 20 years,” she said.
“These plans have not been released to Mr Irwin and the public as they are close to being finalised.
“As agreed, when the plans are finalised and ready to be released, Mr Irwin will be notified and we will forward a copy to him.”
She said that given the shortage of available land in the area, “it’s important there are enough services, amenities and commercial options to cater for this growth”.
“The population numbers involved here are twice the size of Irymple,” Ms Philpott said.
“If there is limited scope for suitable community and commercial space and this becomes residential, then it is very difficult, near impossible, to change this when more commercial and community space is needed.
“The commercial facilities possible in the revised plan, whether ’boutique’ or otherwise, would need to be able to service a population of this size, not to mention the growing need for services that are located nearby and accessible to the immediate community.”
Mr Irwin said he had told Ms Philpott that council’s NAC plans would “sterilise” the commercial centre.
“We’re the owners, but we will not be able to get a single chain to build at the corner site,” he said.
“If you don’t have an anchor tenant, then you don’t have the pharmacy, medical clinic, restaurants and more.
“It’s so critical to the whole plan.”
