Westbury IGA expansion

November 2018 | David Claridge

WESTBURY LOCALS will gain in many ways with a new IGA now in the early stages of construction. In what will be a $5 million project, local contractors will be hired to help build it. Due for completion by July 2019, shoppers will benefit from a wider range of products.

Westbury local Judy Fellows has had a 30-year involvement with the William Street IGA and will own and operate the new supermarket. “There’s simply not enough room at the current William Street store to hold all of the product our customers are after and while we try to get in what we can, we sometimes have to suggest a trip out of town to visit a larger IGA supermarket,” Ms Fellows said. “By having a larger product offering we hope to make it easier for the people of Westbury to live their day-to-day lives in the town and we hope it will bring more people in from surrounding towns to come and do their shopping here.”

Tasmanian Independent Retailers CEO Grant Hinchcliffe said the development would be a win for Westbury, with the nine-month construction phase set to create employment for up to 20 to 30 local tradespeople.

“This investment shows a real commitment to Westbury and will help the close-knit community by creating local jobs. “There will also be numerous flow-on benefits for other businesses in the area as local contractors will be used during construction and more people will be inclined to carry out their shopping in the town centre after the supermarket opens.”

As published in other media, at a recent meeting between Meander Valley Council members the issue was raised regarding electronic signs planned for the supermarket, noting that they won’t conform to the heritage streetscape of Westbury.