Independent Senator Tammy Tyrrell is ramping up her calls for lower grocery prices and better supermarket competition in Tasmania, launching a petition to bring ALDI to the state.
Tyrrell says that while mainlanders may not be aware of the problem, Tasmania is currently dominated by Coles and Woolworths, with only some IGA stores scattered across the state.
“Last year, report after report, inquiry after inquiry said the same thing. When ALDI comes to a regional town, prices at Coles and Woolies go down,” she said.
“The evidence shows Tassie is paying through the nose for groceries because we’ve been put in the too hard basket.”
“That’s why I’m putting the pressure on ALDI to stop ignoring Tassie.”
In April last year, ALDI CEO Anna McGrath told a supermarket inquiry in Canberra that the company had “no current plan” to bring its efficiency-based business to Tasmania.
“Tasmania, far north Queensland, with the distance and the complexities of the supply chain, it just makes it less easy,” she said.
“That’s not to say that we don’t continuously review where we may expand in the future.”
There are 17 Coles and 32 Woolworths stores across the state, equivalent to about one store for every 8,000 Tasmanians.
More on this story: Push continues for third major player to boost supermarket choices in Tasmania
