Crikey, July 5 2006
Anti-competition Maleny folk still fighting anti-competition Woolworths
Michael Pascoe writes:
The conservative folk of beautiful Maleny in Queensland's Sunshine Coast
hinterland continue to fight a rearguard action against the Woolworths
retail giant (yesterday, item 8), trying to preserve the village atmosphere, the small shops and forcing everyone without transport to
pay more for their groceries.
It's a battle that has stretched as far as Woolies's AGM
http://www.abc.net.au/sunshine/news/200411/s1252383.htm
and has even
drawn head counterjumper Roger Corbett close to the frontline on occasion. It's been to no avail, but the Blackall Range folk haven't
surrendered. They claim to have raised $2 million to buy the site back from Woolworths, but Roger wouldn't sell. And one gentle militant
writes:
The Maleny community have been sending thousands (over 60,000 so far I think, if not more) of envelopes to the Woolworths feedback reply-paid
address, which both costs Woolies the postage and a few cents and makes a statement that this community will not give up.
Apparently Woolworths has now put a stop on any reply-paid envelopes from the postcodes around Maleny and the Sunshine Coast.
The unpalatable reality, though, is that the Maleny anti-progress people are just as anti-competition as Woolworths. If the locals want to
preserve small business against the giants, they can vote with their wallets every time they go shopping without depriving others of choice.
The sadly missed opportunity is that Woolworths is incapable of delivering a model that fits in with the atmosphere of a place like
Maleny, instead of just bulldozing its self-interest ahead. A certain lack of soul would fit in with the ethical character flaws of the
company evident in its own anti-competitive behaviour.
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