A plan for a supermarket at the Bloomfield Medical Centre to serve hospital staff and visitors, as well as Shiralee residents, has been rejected by Orange City Council.
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Developers were seeking to have an area of the site re-zoned to allow for retail shops including a supermarket the size of a 'small Aldi.'
However councillors said the CBD shopping area was still suffering, with more empty shops and competition was not warranted.
Our main street, Summer Street, despite our best efforts, is looking a bit empty
- Cr Stephen Nugent
Mayor Cr Reg Kidd said there was insufficient housing near the site to support it.
"I'm totally opposed to it," he told Tuesday night's council meeting. "This isn't near Shiralee, this is near the hospital."
He said it was suggested to be a convenience store but at 1000 square metres in floor size it was a supermarket.
Cr Jason Hamling said he would only support a convenience store for people to buy "bread and milk and maybe a pie for lunch" in Bloomfield. "I'm unhappy with a supermarket of any sort out there," he said.
Cr Stephen Nugent said he was concerned about empty shops in the CBD.
"I walked down there yesterday morning and it struck me 'wow' there is more empty shops in the street. Our main street, Summer Street, despite our best efforts, is looking a bit empty, especially in that top block where the fire happened above Cafe Latte," he said.
Cr Kevin Duffy said he could not support the proposal now as the CBD was still feeling the affects of COVID-19 and the removal of JobKeeper government assistance plus online shopping competition.
However, Cr Scott Munro said the development would bring jobs to Orange.
"It's not a big shopping centre there at all," he said.
"We need jobs, we need to build things."
Cr Munro said 55-80 jobs could be created with the project.
Cr Jeff Whitton said it appeared councillors were opposing the application based on its location.
"It is a complying [development application], it is zoned for approval there, but because it is not in the CBD we are not going to approve it. I just don't understand it," he said.
Council's vote on the approval was split five votes all.
Planning and Development Committee chair Cr Russell Turner then cast the deciding vote opposing the rezoning.
The debate followed the application being revised and placed on public exhibition. Two public submissions were received.
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