Unwilling to accept a decline in their town, an enterprising group of Rupanyup locals drove reinvestment in their town and redevelopment to save their local supermarket from closure.
Victorian Labor Minister for Regional Development Mary-Anne Thomas today visited Rupanyup to view construction works taking place at the hub site. She was joined by members from the Yarriambiack Shire Council and local business.
The community was faced with the prospect of losing the town’s only supermarket and asked for support from the Labor Government, which has invested $500,000 to build the Rupanyup Community Retail Hub. The nation's first community bank, through Bendigo Bank, provided the remainder of the funds supplemented by community fundraising efforts.
Minister for Regional Development Mary-Anne Thomas said:
“We are making sure our regional communities have the infrastructure they need to thrive - attracting more people to live, work and invest in regional Victoria.”
ALP Member of the Legislative Council for Western Victoria Jaala Pulford added:
“Rupanyup is a mighty town, with much to offer for both tourists and residents - it’s great to see the significant investment the community is making to enhance the livability of the region, and a full-service supermarket is a great place to start.”
The project is creating valuable jobs for the local farming community, with around 35 tradespeople employed during construction. The supermarket will employ six full-time equivalent staff once completed, offering employment opportunities to a range of local people.
Construction of the Rupanyup Community Retail Hub’s full-service supermarket started last October and is on track to be completed by the end of this financial year.
The organisation behind the Rupanyup Community Retail Hub, Enterprise Rupanyup (ERup), is committed to reinvigorating the town and has purchased additional land to further develop the precinct where the hub is being built.
Representatives from ERup are undertaking discussions to partner with a national supermarket brand to ensure the delivery of quality food supplies to the region.
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