ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
The Betoota Heights Big W store has been earmarked for closure this week as the fat-cats at Woolworths look to cut losses at the expense of local jobs.
While sad, the discourse on the many online community discussion groups in town have now turned to what might replace the discount department store – and not everybody is on the same page.
The majority of the ‘Betoota Heights – The Friendly Community’ members on Facebook want a Country Target to replace the Big W while nearly all the people on the ‘North Betoota District Dads’ group want either a Rivers SuperStore or a BCF.
The Advocate spoke to a number of residents in the Betoota Heights area and found the division in the online community is bleeding out into real life.
One of the most passionate Country Target devotees said that the Big W store was on it’s last legs, anyway.
“It was fucked,” said Gwen Coleman, a young mother and Camel Road mortgagee.
“They kept cutting it down until it ran out of steam. Good riddance, I say. I hope it gets replaced by a Country Target. They’ve got one in Windorah but it’s such a drive away,”
“Anything but a Rivers. There’s enough tube jeans and and printed button ups in this town. We already have an Anaconda, so getting a BCF would be stupid. What I really, really want is an IKEA but I doubt that’ll ever happen.”
On the other side of the discount curtain, Ben Funktopus said have a new Rivers SuperStore will provide a much better service to the town that a ‘smell Country Target’ ever could.
“Don’t listen to what Gwen tells you. She locked her kids in a hot car once. Her husband got fired from the bauxite mine the other day, too. Rivers has more tasteful designs and clothes, I don’t want to look like my grandpa going to church. Country Target is for boomers.”
As for what is going to replace the Big W Store, our reporters sources suggests a Clark Rubber or Little Caesar’s Pizza outlet out being the front runners.
More to come,.
