Retailers Wary Of Mega Plan

Newcastle Herald

Wednesday November 1, 2000

By MIKE SCANLON

WESTLAKES retailers are anxiously awaiting a report on a plan to turn Wangi power station into a mega market and residential centre.

The report, an analysis by Lake Macquarie City Council planners, will be tabled at Monday's council meeting.

The councillors are keen to investigate site uses for the disused 1940s power station.

However, retailers feel the $200million proposal would harm existing businesses in Wangi, Toronto, Rathmines and Morisset.

Toronto retailers are only now beginning to recover from the opening of the Glendale Super Centre.

Some retailers believe the ambitious Wangi retail plan may be premature. They feel the area is remote and is not well served by public transport.

Another problem is a 24-hour-a-day underground coalmine next door.

The 10-year development plan was presented at a council background briefing on Monday.

It showed that the council would have to investigate site contamination.

City strategist Ian Andrews told the briefing of the `Armidale experience' with one residential rezoning project.

He said there had been a well-publicised court case in which Armidale council was later obliged to pay millions of dollars compensation.

Mr Andrews said the creation of an instant shopping mega market at Wangi was against the council's own Lifestyle 20/20 plan.

Project proponent and Queensland developer Ian McDonald said he would spend $20million to remove contamination.

Mr McDonald is proposing up to 500 units, plus having major retail chains as tenants as well as a marina and 75-unit motel.

Wangi would then become Lake Macquarie's second largest commercial centre.

But Mr McDonald left Monday's meeting declining to talk.

`I'm upset right now. I don't want to say anything I'll regret,' he said.