Hobart Airport Big box development

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1. Airlines Expert
   

   Early in 2006, the airport announced plans to build a Direct Factory Outlet just east of Holyman Avenue. The complex was originally planned to cover an area of 18,000 square metres (190,000 sq ft), which would have made it the largest of its kind in Australia. Austexx, a Melbourne-based company, will be leasing the site and is the main investor in the 100 million dollar project. The development would also provide car parking for over 2,000 cars and road works will most likely be conducted on Holyman Avenue to ensure that traffic flow into the airport itself is not affected. While the Tasmanian Government has thrown its support into the project and believes the Direct Factory Outlet will drive retail trade growth, the Hobart City Council and a large amount of retail shop owners in the Hobart Central Business District have expressed fear of losing business. Concern was also expressed about the big box being built on commonwealth land and therefore escaping the state planning laws. During April 2007, the Hobart Airport's public relations firm confirmed they had submitted plans of the project ('including rejections') to the Federal Government for assessment. When Federal Transport Minister Warren Truss assessed the project, he gave approval on condition the outlet centre was cut by almost half to 10,000 square metres (110,000 sq ft), prompting Austexx to walk away from the proposal. However, in February 2008, Austexx' chief executive Geoff Porz confirmed the Direct Factory Outlet and Homemaker Hub was back on, going as far as to say that Hobart was "grossly under-supplied with shopping facilities".

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