The proposed $67 million expansion of a Woolworths warehouse in Sydney was stopped after it was discovered that a critically endangered species of orchid was flourishing in the area.
The project was opposed by the Environment Minister, who noted that it was unacceptable.
Woolworths had asked the minister for permission to proceed with the project, but she refused to allow it.
Woolworths has not commented on the decision.
The company had planned to create 240 jobs by expanding its Warnervale distribution center, and it would have provided customers with more variety of food products.
However, environmentalists were disturbed by how the retailer could think that its plan could be acceptable considering Australia’s rapid decline in biodiversity.
According to Brendan Sydes, an Australian conservation organization, the company’s plan to destroy 500 orchids was unacceptable since it was previously believed that only 200 of them were in the region.
Although the protected status of the orchids means they can’t be destroyed, applications can still be submitted to do so.
Usually, the environment minister doesn’t have the power to immediately reject an application, and they go through several stages before making a decision.
Last week, the minister revealed that she had rejected a wind farm project in Port Hastings due to its potential impact on the RAMSAR wetlands.
The decision came as the supermarket was being heavily scrutinized by the public due to how it prices its products.
In addition, it has been commended for its decision to stop selling Australia Day products.
The company had planned to build a distribution center next to an existing facility, which would have destroyed 1.5 hectares of the orchids’ habitat.
It was suggested that six plants be preserved as the company believed that it had created the ideal environment for the orchids to thrive.
It’s believed that the species only exists in a small area on the Central Coast, and only around 1,500 have been discovered in the last three decades.
In its application, the company noted that its project would have seriously affected the species.
It also proposed donating the money it would have earned from the project to a conservation trust fund.
This isn’t the first time that Woolworths has faced controversy.
In 2022, it was criticized after it removed vegetation from the Gold Coast to make room for a new store.
Plibersek’s decision to reject the project was commended by Sydes, who noted that it shows that the government is serious about protecting the country’s endangered species.
He also urged the government to update the country’s conservation laws so that listed plants and animals receive stronger protection.