PAK’nSAVE Wairau Road Appealed By Progressive

PAK’nSAVE Wairau Road Appealed By Progressive

Foodstuffs (Auckland) Limited is extremely disappointed that Australian owned Progressive Enterprises Ltd has decided to appeal the Environment Court decision allowing Wairau Road PAK’nSAVE to finally open.

“The people of the North Shore have clearly demonstrated that they want us to bring PAK’nSAVE’s low prices to Wairau Road,” said Tony Carter, Managing Director of Foodstuffs (Auckland) Limited. “Only our trade competitor and the sole objector, Progressive Enterprises, doesn’t want us to open. Not only are they trying to stifle competition and prevent low food prices finally reaching this part of the North Shore, they are also denying people jobs at a time when they are most needed“.

The Environment Court found clearly in Foodstuffs’ favour in its decision issued on 3 November, and upheld the granting of resource consents, clearing the way for construction to recommence and Wairau Road PAK’nSAVE to open. The Court’s decision found that there was “a clear consensus among all the economist witnesses that the introduction of a strong competitor into the North Shore supermarket market would be a good thing for consumers, even if its competitors would not welcome it”.

Progressive Enterprises Ltd has now appealed this decision to the High Court.

Foodstuffs (Auckland) Limited has been wanting to open a PAK’nSAVE on the Wairau Road site for over 17 years, and initially received resource consent to build the supermarket in October 2004. Work commenced and the store was due to open in August 2005, creating 300 jobs in the area.

Progressive Enterprises opposed the North Shore City Council’s granting of the consent on a non-notified basis, and the consent was overturned by the High Court in June 2005, forcing work on the supermarket to stop.

Foodstuffs applied for a fully notified consent in June 2007, and more than 1000 people registered their support for the store. The combined North Shore City Council and Auckland Regional Council consent hearing was held in November 2007 and resource consent to open the PAK’nSAVE was granted in January 2008. Progressive Enterprises then appealed the decision of the North Shore City Council to the Environment Court, preventing the store from opening. Progressive is now appealing the decision of the Environment Court.

“We are committed to bringing PAK’nSAVE’s policy of New Zealand’s lowest food prices to Wairau Road and we will continue to fight this battle for our customers” said Mr Carter.

ENDS

© Scoop Media