Woolworths agreed to build a community library in Rosanna then the uproar started

Supermarket giant Woolworths wanted extra land to build a new store. The local council desperately wanted a better library.

But when the two came together to reach an agreement on a deal for the company to build a library in return for the land, the community was in uproar, torn between those who saw it as a win-win for both sides and those who were outraged that public land was being traded for private gain.

Negotiations took place against a background of numerous council meetings, public consultations, a Change.org petition against the plan signed by 5160 people and a legal case before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Now, however, there’s finally set to be a 2700-square-metre Woolworths store in the Melbourne suburb of Rosanna and next to it, a brand new two-storey, 1300-square-metre library in what’s likely to kick off an increase in private-public partnerships to provide community facilities.

“It is a win-win for the people of Rosanna,” said Banyule Council mayor Rick Garotti, who’s hailed it as the first private-public partnership of its type in Victoria.

“We’re going to be getting a brand new library, twice the size of the 50-year-old current library, on land and in a building both owned and operated by the council. It’s a massive community benefit.

“As part of the project, we’ll also be putting $1 million into the Heidelberg Theatre Company on the other side of Woolworths and bring it up to contemporary standards, so two premium facilities in Rosanna will be transformed through this approach. People have had understandable concerns, but I think once it’s built and is operational, a lot of people are going to embrace it.”

Woolworths is similarly convinced that both the supermarket and the library will prove a huge value-add for customers and the community.

Woolworths general manager of property development, Andrew Loveday, said a council might be wanting to undertake a certain project, but has hit development or financial hurdles along the way, and a private company might be in a good position to help.

“Our ambition in doing this kind of private-public partnership is to deliver good outcomes for the community and customers,” he said. “We’ve noticed the trend in recent years of a focus on neighbourhood shopping and a growing desire to create localised communities.

“The underlying factor is a densifying and growing population, and pressure on roads and public transport. So, a lot of people want to shop closer to home and want convenience and a good customer experience, services and amenities.

“We want to deliver more than just a supermarket; we also want to deliver well-integrated developments that include things like health services and specialised shops, where people can also drop off their kids at childcare, go for a coffee and visit a library.”

There are some in that community, however, who are still not convinced. The petition to “Stop Woolworths Building in Rosanna” states: ”As residents, amenity users and traders of Rosanna, we appreciate its local character, amenities and parklands. Adding such a large supermarket to this setting is completely out of character. It will be the trigger that changes our locality from small, community-based attractions to a larger commercial zone. We have no lack of these larger commercial zones in Heidelberg, Ivanhoe, Greensborough, so let’s keep Rosanna a village.”

Others complained that the arrival of the supermarket could have a negative impact on the shops already in the area, could create noise and traffic nuisance, and that it was wrong to sell public land to a private company.

Commercial Real Estate contacted the campaign, but no one responded.

At the council, there’s huge support for the scheme.

Scott Walker, director of city development, said in his report on the project: “The partnership proposal with Woolworths will provide positive community, social and infrastructure outcomes for Rosanna.

“It will deliver a contemporary library facility by 2024, which will provide a vital community hub, easily accessible for older people, people with disability, library members and the Rosanna community generally, and meet the needs of the area well into the future.

“The proposal is a financially sustainable and favourable way of achieving this outcome.’

For Woolworths, there is a precedent for such a private-public partnership in NSW, where it teamed up with Woollahra Council for a $100 million-plus redevelopment of an area of Double Bay to provide a new library, as well as a larger supermarket, extra parking and smaller retail stores, cafes and commercial space. That’s been acclaimed as a major success.

“We had the opportunity in Double Bay to partner with a council, and we delivered a community-based outcome, as well as a retail outcome,” said Mr Loveday. “There was an option there to add some land, and [the] council owned some land, and together we set objectives and then delivered those objectives that were financially viable.

“We are going to be in these neighbourhoods for decades to come, so we want to deliver something that gives a sense of being part of the community going forward.

“Double Bay was a great example, and the site in Rosanna is opposite a train station and a commercial precinct, and we’re working with the council. There are a lot of synergies between what councils want to deliver and what we want, too.”

Councillor Garotti says many other councils are now contacting Banyule about how to form worthwhile partnerships. “I think we’re leading the way in this,” he said.

“Councils need the right expertise to set clear objectives and what they want for communities, and these partnerships can be a good way of delivering it.”