Final DAYS. And a beautifully written letter.
Final days to object to Dan Murphy’s liquor licence application. Whilst the 30 days expire on Sunday 14th August, the final business day is this coming Friday - 12th August. Don’t be disheartened and not submit your objection. For it is when we all stand together that we can fight and win this!
Below is a letter that was recently sent to the Directors of YBUY Pty Ltd. The letter is reproduced here with permission from the authors - a group of committed individuals - who have so eloquently put into words how many of us are feeling.
Wednesday 10 August 2022
Subject: Proposal to establish a Dan Murphy’s in Daylesford is NOT WANTED
Addressed to Mr Lo Giudice and Mr Bernardi
The proposal by YBUY PTY LTD (ACN 655 054 229) of which you are both directors and equal shareholders (as well as your respective property management groups, the Banco Group and the Bernardi Property Group) that are jointly submitting plans on behalf of your client Endeavour Group Limited (EGL) to operate a Dan Murphy's alcohol retail outlet at 63 Central Springs Road Daylesford, Victoria 3460 is NOT WANTED in Daylesford.
Dan Murphy's in Daylesford is not wanted by LOCALS THAT LIVE HERE.
Dan Murphy's in Daylesford is not wanted by TOURISM OPERATORS THAT DERIVE THEIR INCOME FROM TOURISM.
Dan Murphy's in Daylesford is not wanted by the parents of kids that attend the DAYLESFORD PRE-SCHOOL.
Dan Murphy's in Daylesford is not wanted by the parents of kids that attend the DAYLESFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL.
Dan Murphy's in Daylesford is not wanted by the parents of kids that visit the DAYLESFORD SWIMMING POOL.
Please retract your application to operate a Dan Murphy’s in Daylesford and inform your client, EGL, that it is not viable.
Dan Murphy's in Daylesford is not wanted because:
1. Directly diagonally opposite Daylesford pre-school and primary schools
The proposed site is directly opposite the Daylesford Preschool (64 Central Springs Rd, Daylesford VIC 3460) AND the rear entrance of the Daylesford Primary School (adjacent to the pre-school entrance) - and locals do not wish to have school aged children and under-age adolesents, subject to direct banner and physical advertising promoting discount liquor.
2. Directly opposite the Daylesford community and family swimming pool
The proposed site is directly opposite the Daylesford Swimming Pool (63A Central Springs Rd, Daylesford VIC 3460), which is frequented by minors and underage school children most of the summer months. Locals do not wish their children, who visit the only public swimming pool in Daylesford during the summer, to be subject to direct alcohol advertising.
3. Unmanned police station
There are more than 7 retailers that sell packaged (take-away) alcohol in Daylesford, as well as 25+ licensed pubs, restaurants and cafes that sell alcohol - however, there is no 24 hour manned police station in Daylesford. Adding another alcohol retailer is simply overkill for a small town that has a permanent population of only 2500 - especially a discount alcohol retailer, and will likely contribute to more alcohol related incidents and fracas that happen from time to time in the Daylesford area. Having no manned police station means any issues relating to alcohol related violence will need to be attended by police based in Ballan or Ballarat - both over 35 minutes drive away.
4. Detract from the foundation of the tourism amenity
Daylesford's primary industry has always been tourism and it has been like this for many, many years. The Daylesford and Hepburn regions have many small boutique retailers, gift stores, artisan and independent retailers, local pubs and many independent cafes and restaurants. The Hepburn Mineral Springs and Lake Daylesford add to the splendour of the region, making the area the number one destination for day and weekend visitors outside of Melbourne.
The Daylesford Macedon Ranges Tourism body has an excellent visitors guide to highlight the splendour of the region and why Daylesford has been so popular with tourists for decades:
https://dmrtourism.com.au/dmt-visitor-guide/
Dan Murphy's represents the epitome of "discount big box" retailing which is 100% diametrically opposite to the foundations on which the tourism industry in Daylesford has been built, over many, many years. Adding a big-box alcohol retailer next to the quaint cafes, boutiques and independent retailers that make the town so attractive to tourists and day trippers will detract from the amenity of the town and detract from the tourism qualities that Daylesford has always been known for.
5. Local staff shortages and issues with other retail operators
Staff shortages are a national issue, but are felt no more acutely than in the regional tourism areas. Opening a Dan Murphy's in Daylesford will only contribute to the issue. There is only a finite number of service and hospitality workers in the area and adding a new liquor retailer will mean poaching staff from other competing retailers and hospitality venues. This is something local operators have to deal with constantly and a Dan Murphy’s will only exacerbate the issue.
6. Unsustainable practices and not practising the corporate mantra
Appreciate that it is not a point that can be argued in a formal objection of the liquor licence through the correct channels, however it must be stated for the record that the opening of a big-box, discount alcohol retailer such as Dan Murphy’s (that discount to the point of losing money to gain market share* - as they are being propped up by the gaming side of EGL) will take business directly off the half dozen small, boutique alcohol retailers that sell local and artisan wine, beer and spirits and will ultimately likely put them out of business. In effect, this (opening of a discount liquor store) will destroy the thing that made Dayleford attractive to tourists in the first place - the tourism amenity of the artisan and local retailers to which the tourists love and keep returning to enjoy.
* https://www.danmurphys.com.au/help/help-centre/articles/360000043436-Lowest-Liquor-Price-Guarantee
The people of Daylesford met last week to voice their concerns and to hear the views of the CEO of the Hepburn Shire Council. There is overwhelming support from the local community that DO NOT support a Dan Murphy's in Daylesford for many of the reasons stated above and more.
There has been a website setup to assist locals to object to a Dan Murphy's opening in Daylesford - https://www.keepitcountry.org/dan-murphys
Please do not take this the wrong way, but calculating, money-hungry developers that work together with big-box corporation-owned discount alcohol retailers represent everything that Daylesford IS NOT - and both are not wanted in this town.
You both live in Malvern and Brighton respectively - both affluent suburbs of Melbourne - and you may have visited Daylesford yourselves to appreciate the quaint, unspoiled and tranquil environment of the town and its tourism amenities. Lake Daylesford, the Hepburn Mineral Springs, the walking trails, the Wombat Hill precinct, the individually owned and operated luxury holiday houses are all reasons that you, your family and the tens of thousands of tourists flock to the area each year. And they don’t come here for discount grog.
Had you visited Daylesford and the Hepburn region, you may have noticed that it is one of the last few tourism destinations in Victoria that isn’t spoiled by a single set of traffic lights. We also don’t have the Golden Arches (McDonalds), KFC, Hungry Jacks or that horrible American coffee chain, Starbucks.
And there’s a good reason for this - because people that visit Daylesford, come for the artisan bakeries, the independent cafes, the boutique retailers and the 5-star restaurants and the other amenities that makes it such a sought after weekend destination.
And they don’t come here for big-box discount grog.
As professionals now over 60 years of age, with long careers before you, try to dig deep into your own conscience and your life’s work and meaning. Would you want a big, garish Dan Murphy’s sign trying to flog the latest cheap bottle of wine or case of beer across the road and in full view of your own children or your grandkids as they walk to pre-school, primary school or local swimming pool? No, probably not.
Tourists don’t come to Daylesford for the fast food at McDonalds, or sit at traffic lights - and definitely not to buy discounted cheap wine, beer and spirits at Dan Murphy’s. They can do that where they live - in the deep suburbia of Melbourne and other urban centres where there’s one of these on every second corner or strip mall.
The EGL website (https://www.endeavourgroup.com.au/sustainability) states:
At Endeavour Group, our sustainability ambition is to leave a positive imprint on the communities we are part of. In October we shared the Endeavour Group Sustainability Strategy which set out our goals and commitments across three principles: Responsibility & Community, People and Planet.
EGL will NOT leave a positive imprint on the Daylesford community if it chooses to pursue the opening of a Dan Murphy’s packaged liquor store in the town.
EGL will forgo profits on alcohol to kill off the competition and will do that for as long as it takes because the gaming machine business is so lucrative.
The Banco website (https://bancogroup.com.au/about) states:
Established in 1962, we are one of Melbourne’s most well established property developers. We specialise in socially and environmentally sustainable developments and urban regeneration projects, including residential buildings, shopping centres, apartment complexes, townhouse and mixed-use developments, industrial parks, warehouse shells and land subdivisions. We are committed to building a sustainable future for Australian cities and creating places people can proudly call home.
If Banco truly upholds its corporate slogan, then it should retract the development plans and liquor application for Dan Murphy’s in Daylesford. It should stop working with this large corporation to further increase its bank balance, at the expense of a small tourist town that doesn’t want or need another packaged liquor store across the road from schools and the local community pool.
By fighting the community and by utilising the essentially unlimited legal budget of the corporate machine to take this through the legal fight and ultimately get yours and your clients way, you will be remembered not for the “sustainable” developers you say you have been since 1962 (and that walked away and saved Daylesford and its tourism industry), but as the developers that planted the seed that ultimately goes on to destroy Daylesford.
Do you want that as your legacy? Would that make you proud?
By putting a stop to this retail alcohol development, you will help save one of the only enduring tourist destinations in Victoria that is not spoiled by big box retailers (and paving the way for fast food outlets and traffic lights).
If you truly adhere to your company mantra that you “create places people can proudly call home”, then please leave Daylesford unspoiled for future generations.
Your kids and grandkids will be proud you did something really “sustainable” for this little community called Daylesford.
And that will be your legacy.
