Kiama shoppers will have to wait longer than expected for the ALDI supermarket to open in town.
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ALDI Australia had planned to open a store on the corner of Shoalhaven and Akuna Streets in 2018.
However, the council-owned site has not been sold to the developer, construction has not commenced, and with 2018 drawing closer, ALDI Australia confirmed the plans have been delayed.
“We have identified Kiama as an area of interest, however ALDI will not be opening a store in 2018,” an ALDI Australia spokesperson said.
“The store opening date is subject to design and construction time-frames set by the site developer and we will update the community as our plans progress.”
The Joint Regional Planning Panel told the developer to revise their initial development application before submitting it, to ensure plans would pass.
Kiama mayor Mark Honey assured residents the developer’s committed to the project.
“The developer is buying the site once all the approvals for the supermarket are through,” he said.
“The developer has invested so much time and planning in this, it is very unlikely he’ll step back.”
The development application is being assessed by a consultant, rather than council, as council has a vested interest in the project.
Once approved, it will be submitted to the JRPP for assessment.
Mayor Honey said there’s strong demand for a second grocery story in town.
“It’ll bring competition,” he said.
“With the Woolworths’ monopoly, competition is what people will be looking for, and variety.”
The nearest ALDI stores to Kiama are in Albion Park Rail and Shellharbour.
The store would create up to 20 new jobs, an ALDI Australia spokeswoman said.
“We are excited about the prospect of bringing the ALDI difference to Kiama,” she said.
“Based on initial research, we can see there is strong appetite for an ALDI store among local shoppers.
“There are proven benefits to having an ALDI in the local area, from increased grocery retail options to an overall reduction in grocery costs, and we know these benefits make a real difference for Australian families.”
ALDI is considered a key tenant for the proposed commercial complex in Kiama.
Council’s Akuna Street car park has long been identified as the council’s preferred location for a second supermarket in Kiama.
In recent years the council has spent almost $7 million buying up property surrounding the car park, and the council has prepared concept plans for what a proposed development on the site could look like.
