Rumours that the proposed supermarket was no longer going ahead in Yarrawonga has since been squashed by an ALDI spokesperson.
“We are excited to bring our unique shopping experience to Yarrawonga, and will update the community as our plans progress,” an ALDI spokesperson said.
Although confirming the project is still on the table and expected to go ahead, no timeframe on the build or opening have been confirmed.
For many years the Yarrawonga and Mulwala communities have been asking for further supermarket competition with ALDI confirming during the pandemic as the Glanmire Park development began, that they would expand their network by building a new store.
However, with no further progress, rumours gained traction that the popular supermarket chain had pulled the pin on the local area.
The low-price supermarket, when built, will be situated in Kaiela Park adjacent to Bunnings and in close proximity to other brand giants Toyota, Tradelink and PetStock.
Currently the site has been developed, zoned and boasts the necessary size and underground services required for a large supermarket.
In early 2023 several job roles for the Yarrawonga store were advertised on online employment marketplaces with a spokesperson at the time confirming the local store would employ 10-15 full time and part-time employees and would be comparable to the Shepparton store in terms of size.
At the time of print, no roles for Yarrawonga were being advertised.
A spokesperson of Kaiela Park said the progress of an ALDI supermarket at the development will push forward quickly once minor intersection changes on the entrance to the development along the Murray Valley Highway are approved by Regional Roads Victoria.
“The engineering and designs are in progress, and we hope they are approved as soon as possible so works can begin,” the spokesperson said.
Moira Shire Council said that all the ducks are lined up as far as the planning approval goes and the civil plans are approved.
“There was a question put to a recent council meeting about requirements regarding intersection upgrades on the Murray Valley Highway,” a council spokesperson said.
“These works relate to DoT (Department of Transport) requirements for the subdivision that is required to create the lot for Aldi.”
Rumours of an additional supermarket such as Coles have not been denied, but it is believed that the supermarket giant is also extremely keen to have a presence in Yarrawonga sooner rather than later.
The Yarrawonga Chronicle contacted Coles for comment with a spokesperson saying that at Coles, staff are constantly evaluating their store network to ensure they are delivering the best shopping experience for customers.
“We’ll be sure to keep the community informed on any plans for a new supermarket in the area,” a spokesperson said.
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