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Mullumbimby Takes its "No" Fight to Woolworths Chiefs

On Monday Mullum Forum placed a half page ad in a prominent position in the Australian Financial Review. It was titled "Is it right that a big corporation can tell a small town what it needs?". The ad and associated press release roused a fair bit of interest from local and national media and drew some comments from Woolworths national director of corporate and public affairs. He said "We did research on demand for a supermarket in Mullumbimby and the region around it. We found there was very strong demand
in that area..." With around 1000 letters signed against the Woolworth's proposal in the last week this sort of statement is looking a pretty feeble.

  The time has come to keep the pressure up and turn this media interest into a much bigger story that Woolworth's can't just hope will fade away.  If anyone has ways of getting this story out there eg blogs, commenting on news stories on the internet, writing to the editor and ringing talk back radio please do it now.


The Mullumbimby imbroglio is presented in the letters and advertisements as a shareholder value, business sustainability and corporate social responsibility challenge for one of Australia’s largest companies with nearly 400000 shareholders.

The letters say in part: ‘While we know that the Directors and Executives of Woolworths are professional and diligent in delivering value to their investors, we also believe that you are committed to corporate social responsibility and sustainability as part of core business practice.

‘We therefore have no hesitation in writing to you personally to highlight the current community resistance that Woolworths face as it seeks to expand its vast retail network to our magical town of Mullumbimby, in the iconic Byron Shire in far northern NSW. In pushing to establish a major new commercial hub outside of our town’s existing central business area, Woolworths is presenting an unwelcome threat to the identity, amenity and long]term viability of a unique community. We don’t use the word unique lightly.

‘Mullumbimby is surrounded by natural beauty and rural enterprise. This is a successful community where locals greet one another as they pop in and out of shops in the main street. You can buy locally grown fruit and vegetables at the green grocers and farmers’ markets, and meat from the region at the butchers, making us real fresh food people. The proprietors and employees are local people and their businesses nurture a vibrant local economy. We fear that a big]box supermarket away from the main street puts all of this under a cloud of inappropriate development.

‘The situation in Mullumbimby is unfortunate to say the least – in our eyes a case of Might v. Mullum that goes to the heart of a community’s right to shape and determine its own character and destiny.’

FURTHER INFORMATION: Visit  www.magicalmullum.com, or contact Mullumbimby Forum Secretary Tricia Shantz on mobile 0421 422645 or Mullumbimby Forum external adviser Murray Hogart on mobile 0417 267235