Beginning in 2015, Woolworths has silently and surreptitiously spent more than $20 million purchasing properties in the block along Military Road bound by Gouldsbury Street and Belmont Road via a nominee company misleadingly and provocatively named Mosman Club Community Project Pty Ltd.
Woolworths’ secret property acquisitions were revealed by the Mosman Daily in August last year.
In response, hundreds of concerned residents got together in October at Warringah Bowling Club.
Soon after, Mosman Village Community was formed with the goal of protecting the character and amenity of our village, and opposing any large-scale supermarket development.
Word quickly spread throughout the community and the local voices of opposition became stronger, louder and more organised.
By June of this year Woolworths realised it could no longer completely hide from the community. It began a series of so-called ‘focus group’ meetings. Groups were small (a dozen or so people). We don’t know how many were held, but our understanding is not too many. One meeting was with MVC. One was with Mosman councillors.
No photos, images or documents were provided to focus group attendees for public release. Photography and recordings were not permitted.
Woolworths was still keeping things close to its chest, and limiting the detail and circulation of information to the community at large.
At the meeting with MVC, Woolworths’ senior management told us that they were only half way through its intended acquisition process – it still required the Mosman Club, the corner properties, and the public rear lane and council-owned carpark.
Woolworths also told us it was two years ahead of wanting to have a conversation with the community. It was only due to the vocal concern and criticism coming from the community that it was beginning a process of limited engagement.
At the meeting with Mosman councillors, Woolworths was informed of the overwhelming lack of support among the councillors for the proposed development.
Woolworths was getting a clear and consistent message that the residents and representatives of Mosman did not want what Woolworths had on offer.
Further mobilisation and pressure from the community was taking place as residents made submissions to Council’s draft local strategic planning statement.
At the same time Mosman Club membership surged as locals joined up to ensure they had a say in the Club’s future. Under the NSW Registered Clubs Act, the core property of a club can only be sold with the approval of a majority of members.
In late August, Woolworths decided to publicly release images to the Mosman Daily showing an idealised representation of its proposed development.
Strangely, there was not a supermarket in sight. There was not a car park or entrance to be seen. There was no delivery dock nor a waste collection station. There were no traffic jams to concern us – just a car and a half in view. There was no big green Woolworths sign to catch our attention. There was no recognisable Club.
The release of the images totally backfired.
The Mosman Club board and management were outraged, and immediately issued a statement saying the Club “will not enter into any discussions with Woolworths regarding redevelopment of the Club.”
Without the Club, the development cannot proceed as planned.
The interests of residents, property owners, local retailers and the Club are now fully aligned and our voices united.
But until Woolworths tells us it is selling up and moving on, or until it comes back with a radical reduction in the scale and impact of its proposed development, the community must keep up the fight to protect and nurture the unique village character and amenity of the place we call home.