The Property Council is promoting a luncheon event in Hobart on
Thursday as Tasmania’s retail debate, but something appears to be
missing.

Quite apart from the fact that this is an argument against investment
in jobs-scarce Tasmania, a debate normally has two sides to it, for and
against, but not this one. The two advertised speakers are Jo Archer,
executive officer of the Launceston Chamber of Commerce, and Milton
Cockburn, a former editor of the Sydney Morning Herald and now executive director of the Shopping Centre Council of Australia.

Both are vociferous opponents of the newcomers to the shopping centre
industry such as Direct Factory Outlets, four of which are already up
and running, with the Melbourne Southern Cross Station complex expected
to open later this year followed by others in Hobart, Canberra and
Perth, and a second in Queensland.

The big players such as Westfield and QIC are clearly worried as their
concerted legal attempts to block or close down DFOs have so far failed
abysmally with just last week QIC dropping its long-standing legal case
against the Direct Factory Outlet at Essendon airport — the fifth such
legal challenge against the discount shop operator to fail or fall over.

Hence the dubious resort to debates that are not debates, merely tendentious whinges.

DFO is surely going to be interested in the proceedings, however, as
the Melbourne-based group has lodged a statement for a breach of
sections of the Trade Practices Act against nine parties, including
supermarket operators Westfield, Lend Lease, QIC and Stockland. DFO
claims the groups colluded to thwart, hinder and impede its
developments.