a potted history of our situation :

If you live in a pleasant area of Australia not already blighted by Big Box Retail – Beware! They have you in their sights!!!

Maleny : small town in the Blackall Range area of SE Qld – famous for it's natural beauty : rainforest, bunya pines, green hills and it's folk festival, arts&crafts and co-operative small businesses, etc. For some years now, the Community have been resisting the impending doom of Corporate Monopoly. However, due to a former loophole in the Caloundra Council's planning system, Woolworths, "the greedy grocery giant", has gained a foothold.
They are determined to build their big concrete box supermarket – unwanted and unwarranted - at the entrance to Maleny on a tiny, environmentally sensitive site. i.e. a lovely creek bank, with scientifically proven platypus breeding burrows under the land. (it's ironic that the Platypus is currently Australia's emblem at World Expo in Japan! Check it out at : http://www.expo2005.com.au/slideshow.asp?gID=1 )

The huge trees on the site (many of them native), were bulldozed early on April 14th, 2004, in a surprise attack reminiscent of the "Bad Old Joh Days" (indeed, the deed was done by the infamous Deen Brothers, much beloved by Joh Bjelke) and it left the Community reeling in shock.

The mobilised Community then attempted to purchase the site, with assistance from Indigenous Peoples' groups, but there were always reasons why Woolies would not accept these attempts. The "I Won't Shop There" campaign started (anti-Woolies, yes, but PRO-Small Business!), with distinctive yellow stickers being worn and posted around the town.
A small but dedicated band of "Protectors", camped on the site – with one actually camped up in the last remaining Bunya Pine!!!   But, on Tuesday July 12th, with a HUGE Police backing (around 150 were counted – see some at : http://www.malenyvoice.com/index.php at bottom of page), Woolworths' construction company, Hutchinsons, began in earnest to move on-site to dig the foundations for their underground carpark, with 50 or so concrete pylons, throughout the area of the platypus breeding burrows.

The Maleny Community – of all ages and persuasions - has reacted mightily and always maintains a presence at the site to keep account of the destruction and to protest this "development at any cost" intrusion. Then on Thursday last, at 12 noon, Hutchinsons/Uniton (the current owners) said : We'll sell if you find 2 million within 24 hrs. Well incredibly, by midnight the people and friends of Maleny had raised 1.9 million to buy back the land and at noon the next day, they presented a cheque for 2.2 Million to the Managing Director, Greg Quinn. Woolworths told him not to sell ...

Meanwhile, both the Media and the State Govt are siding with the "Might is Right" brigade, trying to minimise and belittle the town's resistance, intimating that it's just a small bunch of blow-ins; unemployed, uneducated hippies - "professional protestors". Nice try, but it's just not true. Clever though, just how many ways the truth can be twisted and distorted by those with vested interests ... sad that so many have sold out to the big-moneyed Corporations, who with their monopoly practices eventually screw everyone, but starting with the local growers, farmers and small business operators. Sad too, that they explain "innocently" that they are "just acting on behalf of their Shareholders".

But, Beware! This is happening world-wide : Will your favourite place be next???

Please go to the Maleny Community's website and leave your message of support : http://www.malenyvoice.com/


Rich-Joy(co-convenor, ABOFOTS "A Bit of Folk on the Side", Maleny)