Community Buys Own Supermarket – Mullumbimby NSW, Australia

The small community of Mullumbimby in the Byron Shire of northern NSW, Australia, is currently in the process of determining their own food supply future by purchasing their local supermarket.

This movement, which is gaining momentum daily at an amazing rate, began by chance, fate, serendipity — call it what you will. Greg Dutton, president of the local community garden approached Richard Storie, the proprietor of the local IGA supermarket, about selling the community garden organic seedlings outside the store. During this conversation he quipped, "If the seedling sale goes well I’ll be back to buy the store". That’s a lot of seedlings. Nevertheless an idea was conceived and now after a five month gestation period a movement has been born.

With Richard looking to retire, the supermarket is up for sale and the community is rallying hard to "buy it before someone else does".

The Mullumbimby local area

In the first two days of the campaign the community pledged over $300,000, and that figure has now increased to $660,000. A team of lawyers and accountants are on board and this wonderful community project is claiming a life of its own.

With a vibrant local farmers’ market community already encouraging the continuance, expansion and good economic and environmental sense of a healthy local economy, the purchase of a community supermarket is the natural progression for our community.

Byron Farmers’ Market

We are looking forward to being able to support community resilience by:

• Driving more money back into our local economy, as the profits are distributed back to us — the many local customer-owners
• Offering more products that are sourced locally, thus energising the creation of more micro-enterprises and local producers
• Securing local jobs
• Shortening food miles
• Shoring-up our enterprise against the big box competition with local loyalty and ownership
• Offering food that will be fresher and more vital
• Injecting the profits and the purchasing-power of the supermarket directly into the immediate community.

We’re excited about our newborn and want to share our news with everyone.

Come and check us out at www.OurMullumbimby.org.