Rules needn't stymie DFO development

Updated November 5 2012 - 9:40pm, first published December 13 2009 - 4:10am

New Minister for the Illawarra Paul McLeay has picked up on our mantra about the three most important issues that face the region - jobs, jobs and jobs.Therefore it would seem dumb, dumb and dumb for the NSW Planning Department not to spend next week re-examining the plan for a discount factory outlet at Kembla Grange.It presents as a sound and exciting proposal. With more than $1 billion in development scuppered by various circumstances in recent times in the Illawarra and an unemployment rate above 10 per cent, the creation of construction and long-term retail jobs has got to be a key factor at some point in assessing this application.And we suspect we would see a sea of hands if we were to ask who wanted a DFO in the Illawarra. Unfortunately, many people are leaving the Illawarra for their shopping needs, not in the least because we have been treated second-best when it comes to such facilities.It is understandable that the department, with support from the Wollongong City Council, would want to keep to planning principles and seek to consolidate, for instance, town centres. However, the net result in this case is another shovel-ready project sidelined, which hurts our economy.Given what is at stake, the authorities need to urgently revisit this grand plan.

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