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11:14AM Monday 08 September, 2008 Sunshine Coast weather Mostly sunny min 11° - max 23°

Coles opens doors amid controversy

18 July 2008

Shoppers who believe increased competition is the answer to rising grocery prices will be able to test their theory from this Saturday when Coles new supermarket at Peregian Springs opens for business.

Coles is the anchor tenant at the new $25 million Peregian Springs Shopping Centre, which will host a day of opening celebrations from 10am, including appearances by Brisbane Broncos players, a live broadcast by Hot FM’s Power and Pete, a sausage sizzle, giveaways and children’s activities.

Peter Rossi, Queensland retail development director for Peregian Springs developer FKP, said the new centre would be a boon for local shoppers.

In addition to the 2800sqm Coles supermarket, the shopping centre will include a bread shop, pharmacy, newsagency, bottle shop, hairdressing salon, beauty studio, physiotherapist, medical centre and dentist as well as parking for 300 vehicles. Coles Peregian Springs manager Katrina Browning said the new store would provide about 100 jobs and had committed to sponsoring the Peregian Beach Surf Life Saving Club for the next year.

The centre features rainwater storage tanks that will collect run-off from the roof for irrigation and cleaning purposes. Car park run-off will be channelled by landscaped swales instead of conventional drains, cleaning stormwater as it drains back into the neighbouring bushland and increasing the amount of surrounding vegetation.

Solar shading will reduce the need for air- conditioning in summer.

But the Sunshine Coast Environment Council co-ordinator Narelle McCarthy said FKP had blatantly ignored a Memorandum of Understanding it had signed with SCEC.

“The retention of ecologically viable – approximately 25m-40m – vegetation buffers throughout the site was recognised as a key undertaking to support wildlife and to help mitigate the immense impacts of built structure on the landscape,” Ms McCarthy said. But Ms Carthy said FKP “acquiesced” when Coles insisted on road and visual exposure if they were to be the anchor tenant.

An FKP spokesperson said that throughout the construction of the shopping centre, the company had at all times adhered to the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding.

“Peregian Springs Shopping Centre has been designed to cause minimal impact on the environment.”

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