Coles ignores council

By Sarah Schwager
CASEY councillors are furious that a letter expressing disappointment over the closure of Coles Myer’s Hampton Park Distribution Centre has fallen on deaf ears.
The retail giant shed all 580 jobs when it shut down the plant in July, with some workers predicting the closure would have a huge impact on Hampton Park’s economy.
Workers were offered voluntary redundancy packages but many of them worried they would have difficulty finding full time work.
Councillor Wayne Smith said the council was concerned about the employees who had lost their jobs.
Cr Smith said unionists believed many of these former employees would be local residents.
At a council meeting on 18 July, councillors decided to write to Coles Myer to express disappointment over its decision to close.
The council’s strategic development department also tried unsuccessfully to ascertain from Coles Myer how many Casey residents worked at the distribution centre and the company’s intentions for the site.
“I am very disappointed that Coles Myer chose not to respond,” Cr Smith said.
“Council has done its best to ascertain a response but unfortunately we didn’t get the cooperation. It says a lot about the times.”
He encouraged the council to consider businesses opening up in Casey that would not only employ large numbers of people, but would also stay in the area.
“I hope those Coles Myer employees have moved on to other permanent employment,” he said.