I s'pose, Musicmic, that considering The Mudcat Cafe is an international forum, of people who care about this planet and their society (i.e. FOLKIES!), I wanted to know if we Down Under, were alone in this problem, or, if a similar problem has occurred in other parts of the world (e.g. English village communities) and what (if any), stategies have been successful in retarding the impact of these huge monopolies in those other places.

I am certainly not against "supermarkets" - just those that are inappropriately situated and that use their money and power to smash any competition - all in the name of free enterprise! Many of us have decreed never to shop there if it takes over our town. Many of us have also decreed never to shop at another Woolworths store again - ANYWHERE!!! I'm enough of a realist to feel that I can adopt the former stance - but probably not the latter!!!!

Although - and I'm only on a SLIGHT tangent here!!! - it is that "convenience" that you mention, of the last 50-odd years of Supermarket foods, that has helped turn a large proportion of Western society into under-nourished, under-energised, yet overfed blimps - and I'm sad to count myself somewhere in those ranks!!!
Er ... anymore of those crumbled cookie crumbs left? ... what flavour are they? ... orange and macadamia! Yum! my favourite!!

Cheers!
R-J
(a She, BTW!)