Wake Up, Whyalla City Council!
While other towns revitalize their historic CBDs with vision and action, Whyalla City Council remains paralyzed—stifling progress in Horwood Street and denying our historic main street the chance to thrive.
The Council doesn’t even need to build anything. Just clear the land and make it build-ready for bulk retail: supermarkets, hardware stores, and major retailers that would draw people back to the heart of our city. This would boost spending, stimulate growth, and create jobs. Prime retail sites are in demand, but they’re not being offered or marketed to the right investors.
Every year of inaction costs Whyalla millions in lost revenue, limits shopping choices for locals and tourists, and stifles business growth. The Council seems blind to the opportunities right in front of them—opportunities that could also lift property values and restore pride in our town.
What will it take for the Council to act? Starting with a supermarket would bring shoppers back to town. If they don’t take immediate action, we must question their commitment to Whyalla’s future.
For decades, the Council has neglected the heart of our town, allowing the historic CBD and tourism to decline. Worse, they kept secret the fact that Horwood Street was zoned for bulk retail—stores like supermarkets that could have kept the main town viable. Instead, they restricted the area to light industrial, slowly destroying retail and pushing business to the west side of town. This has deprived the central area of equal growth and opportunity, leaving the community disadvantaged.
Many would call this neglect. Others might call it something worse. Whyalla deserves better. It’s time for accountability and action. People can't even buy food and medical supplies in the historic town centre. It's the only historic city centre in all of Australia that doesn't even have a supermarket in the town.
