Giralang shops; you know the story by now...

The owners should have lost the lease, no compensation, when they freely chose to close the shops down in the hope that they could get the site rezoned and enjoy a massive windfall gain by flogging the land off for apartments.

This is what happens when you let bad people get away with bad things.

Owners are being strategic in leaving derelict shops there. they could have easily submitted a DA for demolition years ago but that wouldn’t suit their needs.

The Crown lease system has sanctions for this sort of thing but that would end in the courts as well.

Just sick and tired of outside interests interfering with our suburb. Wish they would put their money into running their business properly instead of making the lawyers rich and making our wonderful suburb looking like a dumping ground.

They all need a good dose of concrete and harden up and stop their whinging. BTW it has to go to the full bench of the ACT supreme court next. Not a cheap exercise for the ACT tax payer!

The biggish shop site is right next to the school, within sight of most of the school I imagine and it seriously looks like beirut. I was shocked when I saw it. Crumbling buildings, random leaning construction fencing, graffiti, rubbish – it defies description really – nothing else like it in Canberra, and nor should there be at Giralang, right next to the school.

A shop near a school is fantastic for parents. Strapping multiple kids in and out of carseats is a huge pain, and being able to grab milk and bread and something for dinner on the way to school pick up would be fantastic.

poetix said :

‘The state of the shop is one factor in weighing up whether we’ll send our kids to Giralang Primary.’

What? What possible effect does the shop have on the educational standards of the school? I used to love my child going to a school near our home, but swapped to one on the other side of the lake because it’s a much better school in terms of options and facilities. The standard of the local shops didn’t come into it. I really can’t understand what you mean here.

I just thought of three concerns off the top of my head, but I haven’t seen those particular old shops, and I don’t want to speak for anyone else.

Felix the Cat said :

Kaleen, which has two shopping centres – one with a largish Supabarn, and the other a well stocked IGA – is a 5 minute drive from most parts of Giralang. Or there is also Dickson, probably a 10 minute drive away, which currently has Woolies with construction due to start soon on an Aldi and I think a Coles. An epic 15 minutes away there is Gungahlin Town Centre with Coles, Woolies and Aldi or 15 minutes in the other direction there is Westfield Belconnen with same supermarkets. How many supermarkets are needed in a 10km radius?

For me, it is more the fact that these derelict buildings are allowed to stand. Fix it, replace it, demolish it. But do something. Urban blight like this is a disgrace.

‘The state of the shop is one factor in weighing up whether we’ll send our kids to Giralang Primary.’

What? What possible effect does the shop have on the educational standards of the school? I used to love my child going to a school near our home, but swapped to one on the other side of the lake because it’s a much better school in terms of options and facilities. The standard of the local shops didn’t come into it. I really can’t understand what you mean here.

maui said :

The Kaleen IGA has been taken over by Supabarn. Funny how the ‘competition’ argument doesn’t matter when it is Supabarn taking over smaller shops like IGA.

No it hasn’t. I heard the store could’t afford to stay with the IGA brand. It has joined the superbarn buying group as an independent. Still owned by the same people, just a different buying group.

The Kaleen IGA has been taken over by Supabarn. Funny how the ‘competition’ argument doesn’t matter when it is Supabarn taking over smaller shops like IGA.

The IGA at Kaleen has changed hands hasn’t it?
I only know because I directed somebody to a restaurant next to the IGA and they couldn’t find it because the signage has changed, and we got a flyer saying something like “same great team, different brand” …or something like that.
Why would they still be arguing against Giralang?

Felix the Cat said :

Kaleen, which has two shopping centres – one with a largish Supabarn, and the other a well stocked IGA – is a 5 minute drive from most parts of Giralang. Or there is also Dickson, probably a 10 minute drive away, which currently has Woolies with construction due to start soon on an Aldi and I think a Coles. An epic 15 minutes away there is Gungahlin Town Centre with Coles, Woolies and Aldi or 15 minutes in the other direction there is Westfield Belconnen with same supermarkets. How many supermarkets are needed in a 10km radius?

If you have a car, very few I guess.

We’ve rehashed the whole supermarket/woollies yes/no thing many times in the past. The point of the OP was that this has been approved, the subsequent appeal was knocked back, fairly contemptuously, and yet they can appeal again! The gist of the discussion is “when can they stop appealing?”.

Kaleen, which has two shopping centres – one with a largish Supabarn, and the other a well stocked IGA – is a 5 minute drive from most parts of Giralang. Or there is also Dickson, probably a 10 minute drive away, which currently has Woolies with construction due to start soon on an Aldi and I think a Coles. An epic 15 minutes away there is Gungahlin Town Centre with Coles, Woolies and Aldi or 15 minutes in the other direction there is Westfield Belconnen with same supermarkets. How many supermarkets are needed in a 10km radius?

Yes it is crazy that they can keep appealing and thus achieve their objective of blocking development of the site.

Clearly the site owners should be required to clear the site and render it safe. They don’t want to do that as they, correctly, surmise that the current state of the site puts pressure on the Government to resolve the issue in their favour.

It would definitely be better for the school if the site was cleared, but there is excellent walking access through pedestrian tunnels under Canopus St on either side of the school, as well as unhindered access from the back side on the path through the playing fields. Parking is good and access from the carpark to the school is unaffected by the shop site.

The network effects of attending a local school are fabulous, for children and parents. I highly recommend it.