A Sunshine Coast developer says residents of a hinterland town famous for its markets have “embraced” a proposal to build a supermarket.
Peregian Beach-based Altum Property Group said it was pleased with the community response to their Eumundi supermarket application, which was currently before Sunshine Coast Council.
As reported by Sunshine Coast News, the developer has promised to keep the structure hidden behind tall trees so as not to visually spoil the gateway to the village.
Group director Alex Rigby said the response from the local community was overwhelmingly positive.
Mr Rigby said cited a strong need for the project as they currently had to travel to Cooroy, Noosa, or further afield, to do their shopping.
“We have communicated with a number of local organisations including the Eumundi Chamber of Commerce and we are pleased by the positive feedback and general excitement around our proposal to build a supermarket within Eumundi,” he said.
“In the current high inflationary environment where the cost of living is skyrocketing, Eumundi residents and people who live in the area have embraced the idea of being able to purchase more affordable groceries.
“We are confident that Council will see the strong need for this development as our application demonstrates that there is insufficient developable land within the Eumundi Local Centre to accommodate the proposed development along with strong community and economic need.”
Eumundi is famous for its twice-a-week markets, which are dubbed by organisers as ‘the biggest and the best artisan market in Australia’, but Mr Rigby said there was a need for much more.
The site application includes an approved service station development which covers more than 4293sqm while the remainder of the development includes a 1472sqm retail centre, consisting of a 1200sqm limited line supermarket and 272sqm of specialty retail as well as 76 car spaces.
Award-winning local architecture firm Blackburne Jackson has created a building design that interprets and articulates a localised response to Eumundi’s built form character.
“The building maintains a low rise built form with a maximum height above finished ground level of about 6.5 metres and setback 6m from the street frontages which minimises building profile and limits height to reduce amenity impacts,” Mr Rigby said.
“Substantial landscape strips are provided to the street frontages, which will assist in softening the built form of the proposed development and provide scenic amenity benefits and contribute to a sense of entry to the town, which is not currently achieved with the open grass paddock.”
A response from Sunshine Coast Council to the application is expected by September.
Altum Property Group has also prepared a project information booklet, which has been placed at key locations in Eumundi while an online version can be downloaded at Eumundi Altum Development.
