• Home
  • Articles
    • Front Page
    • General Interest
    • Special Interests
    • Snippets
    • Mayoral Notes
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Competitions
    • Sydney Royal Easter Show Giveaway
  • Our Community
    • Our People
    • Question of the Week
    • Jobs in the Central West
    • Be Seen
    • What’s On
  • Special Interests
    • Women In Business
    • Rural Round Up
    • My Place
    • Health & Wellbeing
    • Loving Local Living
    • Just a Short Drive
    • Real Estate
  • Sports
    • Bowls
    • Cricket
    • Equestrian
    • Footy Tips
    • Golf
    • Netball
    • Rugby League
    • Rugby Union
    • Soccer
    • Touch Football
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Page
    • Advertise with us
    • Testimonials
    • Submit an Article
    • Subscribe to the Parkes Phoenix

Parkes Phoenix

Parkes The Next ‘Target’ For Closure

June 19, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

SAD… The community of Parkes is still trying to get its head around the shocking news of Target closing down, but has also vowed to not go down without a fight. (Photo: Spinks & Co)

Just as things started to look up with good rains falling and COVID-19 rules lifting, the Parkes community was hit with a shocker curve ball this week that came out of the blue.

Target announced in an email on Monday it would be closing its store in Parkes, after our town were not included in the initial round of closures revealed last month. “I am very disappointed and at a loss for words,” said Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith OAM.

Chairperson of the Parkes Chamber of Commerce, Geoff Rice echoed the Mayor saying he was bitterly disappointed. “There is no indication of why the decision was made,” said Geoff. “It is a very underhanded way of doing it, after giving us a false sense of security when the Forbes store closure was announced last month.”

Geoff said the Chamber was in talks with the Council. “We plan to get back to Target to understand why the decision was made, but to also present them with a very good plan of why the store should remain open.”

In the email Target’s Managing Director, Marina Joanou said: “… following the first phase of a Wesfarmers and Kmart Group strategic review of Target, decisions have been taken to accelerate Target towards being a smaller, more focused and less complex business. Regrettably, our Target store at Parkes will be closing as part of this transformation.”

“What beggars belief,” the Mayor went on to say, “is that this announcement comes on the same day that the Deputy Premier John Barilaro announced that Parkes is one step closer to becoming the state’s first Special Activation Precinct with the adoption of a new planning framework and master plan for the precinct. The master plan also sets out a long-term vision for the Parkes precinct, with up to 3,000 jobs coming from freight and logistics, resource recovery, and value-added agriculture.”

“We should be celebrating this announcement but instead we are having to deal with a decision by Wesfarmers that seems illogical.”

The Mayor and Geoff both said despite the fact that our community had been battling one of the worst droughts in history and many businesses had been heavily impacted by COVID-19, there were still positive investment in the economy.

“We are hopeful of a good harvest this year, Northparkes Mines is pushing ahead with a $300 million expansion project, Inland Rail has procured $100 million in local businesses, and there will be opportunities for local contractors to work on the new $168 million Parkes Bypass,” said Ken. “We are working hard to grow Parkes, so when a decision like this happens it is a kick in the guts.”

Local businessman and Councillor Alan Ward, who represents Council on the Parkes Chamber of Commerce, said: “Parkes is fast becoming a shopping destination for the western regions and with the development of Inland Rail will become a large distribution centre.”

“This decision will not only tragically affect the people employed at Target but will have a massive impact on the whole retail community. Reducing the retail opportunity in both Parkes and Forbes increases the likelihood of shoppers travelling out of town to larger centres – certainly a negative for the region.”

It is understood the store would be closed before the end of the year. The announcement came as a big shock to Target employees in Parkes, who had no idea the closure was in the pipeline.

By Maggi Barnard

Filed Under: Articles, Front Page

Latest Print Editions

Click here to download the recent issue (314) of The Parkes Phoenix (2.2MB PDF) – 1st July 2022

STAY CONNECTED

The Parkes Phoenix would like to thank you, our Facebook friends, for your continued support and readership!

SEARCH THE PHOENIX

Recent Articles

  • News From PSCB July 1, 2022
  • One Night Outside To Help Homeless July 1, 2022
  • Top Chamber Music Outfit To Play In Parkes July 1, 2022
  • Snippets… July 1, 2022
  • Dire Health Care Situation Inspires Hannah July 1, 2022

CONTACT THE PHOENIX

Address
7/113-127 Rankin Street, Forbes NSW 2871

Editorial Phone –  0403 080 085
 editor@parkesphoenix.com.au

Sales Phone – 0476 110 953
sales@parkesphoenix.com.au

View our Privacy Policy.
View our Conflict Resolution Process.
View our Ethics and Complaints Policy.
Want to advertise with us?
Information on our Community Promotions.

Submit an Article

We are always looking for new articles of interest to the local community.

Please feel free to submit an article for possible inclusion in a future issue.

To submit an article, click here to use our online article submission form.

Recieve the Phoenix via email

* indicates required

Copyright © 2022 · Website setup by WebSysMan