Report backs Victor shopping plan

A report has backed plans for a big new shopping centre proposed at Victor Harbor.

It already has major project status, meaning it will be assessed by the South Australian Cabinet rather than the local council.

A report has concluded the $250 million project by the Makris Group at Encounter Bay would be generally positive for the community.

The public environment report says there would not be serious detrimental environmental, social or economic effects.

Victor Harbor Council has questioned whether the proposed complex is needed.

City manager Graeme Maxwell says its economic modelling has shown it is bigger than the community needs.

"Our advice was that the capacity for our retail to grow was nowhere near the size that this project is putting forward," he said.

"I think we were looking at about a 15-year horizon with our projections. Probably in 15 or 20 years' time this may be appropriate but [it] wasn't considered appropriate to the size of our community at this point in time."

Mr Maxwell thinks the State Government should leave control of the process at the local level.

"It is a large development and we don't deal with things of this magnitude all that often, if at all, but I think the council and the local community would prefer to see those decisions being considered and made at the local level," he said.

A public meeting will be held early next month to discuss the proposal.

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Wed 19th November 2008 - 05:46pm