Press Release
The first victim in Springwood for Woolworth's invasion into Springwood may well be "Best Value Discounts" run by Amnil Mathew and Jose Kurian.
A development application was lodged with council on the 4th December by BWS a subsidiary of Woolworths to operate a packaged liquor outlet at 159 Macquarie Road Springwood.
Commenting on the application the former councillor Dick Jackson-Hope said; Within a 5 kilometre radius there are nine (9) liquor outlets and he failed to see why the community needed another one in the main street when there are all ready 3 with in 500 metres of the proposed Woolworths outlet.
He went on to say: The law no longer requires an applicant for a liquor licence to demonstrate an unmet need. Some would say this was designed by Bob Carr's Labor government to facilitate the extraordinary expansion of Woolworths and Coles into liquor retailing. At the same time as these amendments were made, the Carr Government also withdrew the restriction that a liquor licence could only be transferred within its own postcode. Now a licence can be transferred from anywhere in NSW.
The establishment of another licensed packaged liquor outlet within the Springwood district will undermine the efforts of the state government to curb the associated problems of excessive consumption of alcohol and under age drinking.
He concluded by saying: What is really sad is the fact that an established retail business which has been serving the community will be forced to close and two families who depend on the business for a livelihood will be cast into to the streets by the all consuming octopus called Woolworths if this licence and application is granted.
Foot note: There is a petition circulating against this proposal.