Adelaide Airport accepts supermarket proposal
Adelaide Airport Ltd (AAL) accepted (21-May-07) in principle
a ‘merit use’ application from proponent Lewis Land (Airport West)
for a supermarket alongside Harbour Town on Tapleys Hill Road to the West of
the airport. The proposed development has been assessed against the provisions
of the Adelaide Airport Masterplan (2004).
AAL's decision follows an extensive independent retail analysis on the benefits and impact of a supermarket at that location. Retail analysis by urban and regional planner, Alistair Tutte, found that "the potential supermarket development modelled at Harbour Town would not have any significant impacts on competing retail centres, and that it would be economically viable." The study said the supermarket development would have a less than 3% impact of total turnover on surrounding retail centres, and that all such centres would return to positive growth within 5 years. It found the supermarket would benefit from its co-location with the existing Harbour Town brand direct centre, and its proximity to the 6000-strong work force based at Adelaide Airport. This analysis supports the findings of an earlier retailing study conducted by Urbis/JHD.