Summer holidays
THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO Advertising & news enquiries: Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au Available early Tuesday at: http://www.echo.net.au VOLUME 22 #29 TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2008 22,500 copies every week
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lots of great ideas for your summer break see pages 17-22
Mallams sells to Woolworths
Council demands ethical standards
David Lovejoy Mullumbimby business icon Mallams Supermarket has been purchased by the giant national chain Woolworths. Staff were informed of the development on Friday in advance of an official announcement expected next week. The sale of the business includes the rights to the development approval for a new supermarket in Railway Street, Mullumbimby. Following Byron Shire Council’s rejection of the development two years ago, Mallams successfully sought approval from the State government for the plan. The deal means the end of a century-long link between the
Byron Shire Council has adopted a new Business Ethics Policy which will act as a guide for Council and all its partners. The new policy will require tenderers to make a statement of ethical conduct, which includes identifying any criminal convictions against the tenderer or any associated persons or entities within the last five years, compliance with international labour standards, submission of a corporate social responsibility report if available, and anything else Council thinks worthy of disclosure on ethical grounds. The policy was an initiative of the Mayor, Cr Jan Barham, in a notice of motion to Council in February 2006. This was after the widely publicised incident when Council approved a tender to KBR, a subsidiary of Haliburton. It was seen by many members of the community as an inappropriate action by Council given Haliburton’s involvement in the Iraq war. The Department of Local Government also recommended that Council develop a Statement of Business Ethics, as part of its ‘Promoting Better Practice’ review of Byron Shire Council. ‘The policy will set a new standard of ethical conduct expected of companies that conduct business with Council,’ Mayor Barham said. ‘It will encourage transparency and accountability in all Council dealings including lending, contracting, supply of goods and service and business partnerships. ‘I am pleased that we have been able to consider the new area of Corporate Social Responsibility and encourage businesses to provide information about their broader activities,’ Cr Barham said. The policy, which has now completed 28 days of public exhibition, is available on Council’s website: www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Policies.
Mallam family and Mullumbimby. The current store will remain in business under the Mallam logo until mid 2009 when it will rebadge and move to the new site as a Woolworths supermarket. Staff in Mullumbimby have been assured that they will retain their jobs when the business changes hands, and when it moves. There was considerable community opposition to the development proposal when it first came before Council, with some people believing that a larger supermarket with associated shops outside the CBD would be a de facto shopping centre in competition with existing business.
There were also concerns over parking, noise and traffic management. At the time Mallams insisted that they needed the rent from extra shops in the DA for it to be financially viable. It was also essential for the core business to acquire a larger building in order to serve the growing population around Mullumbimby. The approval of the State government covers a supermarket and bottle shop on the site without extra shops. Mallams manager John Waterhouse said on Monday that he was unable to comment on the deal until a joint press release had been agreed with Woolworths.
The media department of Woolworths also declined to comment. It is known that the chain, having thoroughly exploited all its city options, is now actively seeking to establish a presence in country towns. The sale marks an historic moment for Mullumbimby. The Mallam name has been synonymous with supermarkets in the town since the store’s foundation in 1904. Apart from a brief period in the eighties when the family sold the business and repurchased it a few years later, the supermarket has operated continuously for 103 years.
Somewhere…
This striking rainbow over Cape Byron was captured by local muso and medic Michael Pelmore. Jeff ‘Pot of Gold’ Dawson is on holiday.