No tradie invasion

By Melissa Meehan
PAKENHAM traders worried tradespeople will take over the town’s car parking spaces during the Woolworth’s development can breathe a sigh of relief, with Woolworth’s representatives promising to find off-site parking.
During his presentation to the Pakenham Business Group, Woolworth’s Senior Development Manager Lindsay Rowles said while specifics had not yet been resolved the retail giant realised they could not “invade Pakenham with tradies”.
“We will be looking at organising parking off-site or something like a shuttle bus arrangement,” Mr Rowles told traders. “It is a condition of our planning permit and we are aware that could cause some problems for traders.”
He said the majority of tradespeople would not be involved in development until the underground car park was completed and shop fittings and other works on the inside of the development were being finished.
“By that stage we would expect that they would be able to use that parking and not impinge on Main Street,” he said. “But saying that we are hoping that local businesses will benefit from the extra foot traffic with 200-plus tradespeople needing to buy their breakfast, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea from local stores.”