Liam McNally
A hunger for more convenient groceries is soon to be satiated for Diggers Rest residents, with Coles announcing that a full-line supermarket for the township will soon be crossed off its shopping list.
Community advocates in Diggers Rest have long been calling for a supermarket in the town which is currently only serviced by smaller grocery stores.
Earlier in the month an email screenshot was circulated by the DREAM advocacy group purported to be from a Coles Public Affairs advisor confirming land had been purchased by Coles within the Bloomdale development for a future supermarket.
Following an enquiry from Star Weekly, a Coles spokesperson confirmed the development.
“While it is still very early stages, we are excited about working with the local council and community to bring a new Coles supermarket to Diggers Rest in the coming years,” they said.
“We are still in the early stages of planning this development, but will keep the community updated as our plans progress.”
DREAM member John Verdon said the group was excited by the news.
“[No full-line supermarket] has slowed development, made it challenging to access a full range of affordably priced grocery products, limited access to local jobs for our growing community and reduced our ability to be a self-sufficient suburb,” he said.
“[And] it is a big signal to the broader business community that Diggers Rest is open for business and there are many very good business opportunities to be had in the suburb.
“It is sincerely hoped that the announcement will trigger interest for others to invest. Of particular interest is the tavern or pub venue which has long had a planning permit but is yet to be built.
“We are hopeful that with this announcement, the council too will recognise the growth and endeavour to bring forward the delivery of our community centre an lynch pin of the “town centre“ precinct.”
According to council’s Venture Melton website, residents of Diggers Rest spent $190.62 million between November 2021 and October 2022, but currently only $22.37 million is spent locally.
Another long-time advocate for Diggers Rest development David O’Connor said Diggers Rest is essentially considered to be a ‘commuter town’.
“It’s hoped that this substantial investment will help to improve the balance of jobs to housing ratio and encourage additional investment opportunities within the area,” he said.
“It’s well known that the neighbouring community of Sunbury has longed for the delivery of a second Coles store.
“As such, this comes as welcomed news, especially for the community of Diggers Rest.”
