Pambula’s liquor store owner, Glen Baker, is hoping that the supermarket DA on the corner of Merimbola and Bullara Streets in Pambula will get approval.
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Mr Baker said he had been invited by the developer, Rodney Thompson, to be part of the new premises and hoped that once approved and built, to be moving in and taking his business at the Pambula Little Bottler to the new location.
“I knew that I didn’t want another liquor store in town and I knew another supermarket was needed,” he said.
The re-emergence of the DA, which was originally proposed by land owner Neil Dawson and included additional retail shops, has caused some controversy in the town.
The DA no longer has the additional retail outlets and includes a supermarket and liquor store, which Mr Baker hopes will be his.
“I’m in favour of the development because I know how much money gets spent elsewhere, especially at Christmas time,” he said.
I’m in favour of it because I know how much money gets spent elsewhere, especially at Christmas time.
- Glen Baker
“It’s about getting more people into town. I don’t care who runs the supermarket, but the development will keep money in town and stop the leakage of people going to Merimbula to shop,” Mr Baker said.
Wild Rye’s owner Todd Wiebe agreed that it is about keeping more people in town.
“I much prefer Pambula the way it is, but I am a realist and it’s inevitable that the town will change. The fact is though that it is an independent that will take this on and not one of the big multi-nationals,” Mr Wiebe said.
He said it would be terrible to see one of the big “multis” in Pambula, which he believed would “be the death of the town”.
The community was recently granted a further month to assess the DA by council after the owners of the FoodWorks supermarket in Pambula, Jeanette and Kel Stolzenhein, started a petition asking for more time.
Mr Baker said that he could see both sides of the argument.
“However I’ve been here a long time and I wouldn’t do anything that would be detrimental to the town,” Mr Baker, who is a supporter of local sporting groups, said.
