By Casey Neill
The Healesville ALDI store will start to take shape “in the next week or so”.
The Mail contacted the supermarket chain on 3 July following its statement in May that construction was expected to start in June.
“All of the necessary approvals have now been obtained and preparatory works commenced onsite in June,” an ALDI Australia spokesperson said.
“Noticeable changes to the site will occur in the next week or so as the builder formally commences construction.”
They said ALDI was eager to bring its unique shopping experience to the Maroondah Highway site.
There is still no opening date finalised.
In May, the spokesperson said that ALDI was finalising the appointment of a builder and authority approvals and “expect to commence construction in June”.
In January, the word from ALDI was that a builder was being appointed and construction was expected to start in February.
In August 2017, Yarra Ranges Council faced a double-headed appeal to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) about the store.
ALDI appealed against the conditions attached to a permit granted in April, and objectors called for a review of the council’s decision.
The main sticking point for ALDI was a requirement to reduce the overall building height from 7.42 metres to 7 metres at the front, and from 11.26 metres to 9.6 metres along the Church and River streets frontages.
Objectors’ concerns included the building’s scale and height and lack of an ‘active shop front’.
The matter was resolved at a mediation meeting, so a full VCAT hearing was not required.
