Rollersk8r said :

…it will be where people can meet for a coffee, a walking destination, a place where sports clubs can have a sausage sizzle to raise money…

Shame you won’t be able to browse racks of newspapers & magazines, grab a croissant, pick up a pizza for dinner, have a beer with your neighbours or get a haircut.

Yay, bring it on.

Yay. About time. Congratsulations to the Giralung residents for finally winning on this.

This is very good news for Giralang and Belconnen residents.

The more local hubs like this exist and are attractive to local residents and businesses, the less we will have to drive to controlled environments to shop. It is close enough to walk or cycle to for Giralang and surrounding suburb residents.

Have been following this very closely in the 4 years we’ve lived in the G-lang. Very excited that it will go through this time. Despite other retailers (in Kaleen) objecting out of self-interest this is a very important development for the people who actually live in the suburb. It’s a lot more than simply having a convenient shop. It’s part of the community and will give the place a real boost. It’s also a community hub that’s been missing – it will be where people can meet for a coffee, a walking destination, a place where sports clubs can have a sausage sizzle to raise money after the kids have played their sport etc.

As a giralang resident of 10 years I am very happy to hear this has been approved. Fingers crossed that it doesn’t get stopped on appeal etc.

Stuffed up the quotes on that last comment, obviously that second quoted section is from the Canberra Times, not me.

lobster said :

It’s just that living right over the road from the shops, I always hear that they are going to do something with it.
Then someone complains and nothing gets done with it.
Which has been going on for like 4+ years now

This time it looks to be going ahead.

I wasn’t impressed with the standard of journalism on show in the Canberra Times coverage of the story. The first paragraph of that story:

Woolworths is set to gain a presence at Giralang, a move which flies in the face of the Stanhope Government’s aim to break up Canberra’s supermarket duopoly.

What?! Talk about editorialising! Report the news ya muppets, don’t try and make it. Sure, it is worth mentioning that this appears to contradict the stated aim of increasing competition in the supermarket sector. But it isn’t the lead. And using emotive language like “flies in the face” undermines the paper’s credibility.

It’s just that living right over the road from the shops, I always hear that they are going to do something with it.
Then someone complains and nothing gets done with it.
Which has been going on for like 4+ years now

lobster said :

Until someone protests it because it isn’t exactly what they wanted…

. . . or the anti-Woolworths brigade jump up and down about the people of Giralang being given the opportunity to shop at the supermarket chain the overwhelming majority of Australians prefer.

Until someone protests it because it isn’t exactly what they wanted…