In March 2024, Wanneroo councillors unanimously supported a recommendation for the City to ask the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) not to approve proposed Coles and Woolworths stores in Darch. The City said the proposals had not demonstrated a need for both centres, could affect existing and planned retail centres, and would use residential land. That was the City’s position—not a WAPC decision. The available records do not establish the final outcome of either original proposal.
What was proposed in Darch?
The proposed sites were on vacant land bounded by Mirrabooka Avenue, Furniss Road and Driver Road, according to PerthNow’s 2024 report, which drew on a City council report. The plans described two supermarkets within walking distance of one another, along with space for smaller retailers.
| Proposal details | What the sources report |
|---|---|
| Coles | 4,250 sq m, as reported by PerthNow in 2024 from a City council report. |
| Woolworths | 3,500 sq m, as reported by PerthNow in 2024 from a City council report. The City’s separate retail-demand report describes an approximately 3,700 sq m full-line supermarket proposal instead; the figures should not be treated as one confirmed area. |
| Other uses in the Woolworths-based scenario | The City’s retail-demand report estimates 714 sq m of specialty shops across three tenancies and a kiosk, a fast-food outlet of up to 500 sq m, and a childcare centre. |
The additional-use estimates come from the City of Wanneroo’s retail-demand executive summary, whose publication year is approximately 2023 based on its search metadata. The report assumes a first full trading year of 2025/26; that is a planning assumption, not evidence the store opened or traded.
Why did the City oppose the proposals?
The City’s assessment was that the proposals had not demonstrated a need for both new centres and could cumulatively affect existing or planned retail centres. Several nearby centres objected during consultation, principally citing concerns about their viability. These are the City’s and submitters’ assessments, not proof that actual trading impacts occurred.
#1 Best Overall
- Stands Upright for Fast, Frustration-Free Packing Forget floppy bags! Our box-style reusable grocery bags stay upright and open while you load, making checkout or car-to-kitchen trips a breeze. Long reinforced handles fit over your shoulder or carry tall bottles and cartons with ease.
- Extra Large Capacity – Holds 3–4 Plastic Bags Worth Designed for serious shoppers, each bag fits the equivalent of 3–4 plastic grocery bags. Perfect for family-sized hauls, bulk items, and big shopping trips. Save time with fewer trips and carry more with confidence.
- Heavy Duty & Tear-Resistant – Built for 65 lbs Crafted from premium non-woven polypropylene with reinforced seams, these heavy-duty grocery totes hold up to 65 lbs without sagging or ripping. Ideal for daily use, farmer’s markets, or hauling heavy items again and again.
- Trunk-Friendly & Spill-Proof Organization No more groceries rolling around your car! These collapsible shopping totes stay upright in your trunk and protect delicate items like eggs, fruits, and bread. Fold flat when not in use — tidy car, happy life.
- Easy to Clean, Fold & Reuse – Eco-Friendly Choice Wipe clean with sanitizer or a damp cloth, then fold flat like a notebook for compact storage. A smart, sustainable alternative to wasteful plastic bags — great for eco-conscious households and zero-waste lifestyles.
Residential land was another concern: the City said the proposals would use land needed for housing amid housing pressure. The same retail-demand report assumed about 300 homes, or 900 residents, in the Kinmore Green development by completion in 2031. That is a forecast in the report, not a current population count.
Which existing and planned centres were cited?
The 2024 PerthNow account, based on the City council report, described nearby shopping options and capacity in the area as follows:
Rank #2
- Large Capacity w/ Front Pocket & Hanging Loop – 14.6” W x 14” H x 10” D - 8.7 Gallons or 32.9 Liters of storage capacity. Fit more items than your traditional plastic grocery bags with its spacious nature. Place your grocery list, phone, or money in the convenient outside pocket which is located on the front of the bag for easy retrieval. You can even hang the bag on a shopping cart with the small loop that is located at the top of the bag for convenient and easy grocery shopping!
- Stays Upright & Easy to Shop w/ Hard Bottom – Keep your items stable and from tipping over when carrying the tote bag or when placed in your car, trunk, shopping cart, counter, or floor with the hard bottom! Easily load and unload with this sturdy bag which stays upright and maintains its shape due to the hard bottom. Place a set of 4 bags in your shopping cart for easy, convenient, and organized shopping!
- Sturdy & Durable Water-Resistant Structure – Carry up to 45 lbs. with the strong yet lightweight construction. Made from a high-grade, water-resistant, and thick PP-woven material that is made to last while the strong poly webbing handles wrap around and under the grocery bag for increased load capacity and heavy-duty usage! Carry comfortably by hand or over your shoulder with the 12” handles and easily clean this folding beach tote bag with wipes then let air dry.
- Multi-Functional – Multi-purpose and can be used for various occasions such as grocery shopping, beach, work, picnics, or trips! Perfect for packing your groceries, bringing food for a picnic, carrying your beach essentials, and transporting your work supplies. VENO reusable bags are versatile, functional, and fashionable for everyday use and timelessness. U.S. Patent Pending, Application Number 29887865.
- Reusable & Sustainable to Protect the Environment – VENO reusable grocery shopping bags are created through maximizing the use of post-consumer material to make high-grade bags that save plastic from ending up in oceans, lakes, and landfills. Help us in protecting our environment to create a cleaner, more livable future. Collapsible and foldable for future use and easy storage in your car, glove compartment, kitchen, cabinet, drawer, luggage, or purse!
- Darch Plaza, with a Supa IGA, was reported to be less than 2 km away.
- Coles and Woolworths in Alexander Heights, and Kingsway City Shopping Centre, were reported to be less than 4 km away.
- Kingsway City was reported to have an existing floor area of 18,000 sq m and capacity to expand to 32,000 sq m.
- East Landsdale Centre had been approved; in 2024, construction was expected to start by 2025. That expectation does not verify that construction began.
The City’s argument relied on the combined context of nearby retail and planned capacity, rather than simply the presence of one supermarket in Darch.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to the applications?
The established planning status is that, in March 2024, councillors unanimously backed writing to the WAPC to urge it not to approve the proposed stores. The records available here do not establish whether the WAPC or another decision-maker later approved, refused, modified or otherwise determined either original application. They also do not establish that either store was built or began trading.
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallOutdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchRank #3
- END GROCERY TRIP CHAOS: Tired of juggling messy grocery totes and digging through plastic bags or bulky boxes? These 3 XL reusable bags with handles keep everything upright and organized by category; they feature an insulated bag and wine and egg pockets to protect fragile items and speed up checkout
- FITS XL CARTS & CLUB STORES, NOT YOUR FRUSTRATION: No more guessing or wasting money on reusable shopping bags foldable that don’t align; each grocery tote bag of the Club Cart set fits Costco, Sam’s Club, ALDI, Food4Less, and H-E-B carts; perfect for XL carts and bulk shopping trips
- BUILT FOR BUSY DAYS: From warehouse runs to big hauls, these shopping bags for groceries adapt fast; use them together or detach with Velcro; remove the rods to turn them into foldable grocery bags for errands, markets, or large-cart shopping
- NO MORE MELTED ICE CREAM: The XL turquoise insulated food bag is thermal-lined to protect frozen and chilled foods; no more stressing over softening frozen goods or lukewarm dairy by the time you’re home; these kitchen reusable grocery bags heavy duty help maintain freshness until you're ready to unload
- HEAVY-DUTY, MACHINE-WASHABLE: Each reusable shopping bag HOLDS OVER 60 LBS with reinforced seams and durable fabric; the wide openings of our reusable grocery totes make bulk shopping easy, and they’re machine washable for hassle-free cleaning
A later City listing identifies a mixed-commercial application, DA2026/1137, at 100K Manderston Approach, Darch. The listing does not establish that this is the same development as the 2024 Coles and Woolworths proposals, so it should not be treated as their continuation or outcome.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- The Multifunctional shopping bag is perfect for grocery shopping, travel, home oragnizing, outdoor camping, etc.
- Each only weighs 26g, superb handwork stitching makes it strong enough and it's maximum load is up to 22lb(10kg)
- Material: Made of 190T Polyester, lightweight, durable and waterproof. The good stitching on edges and bottom are strong enough.
- 6 Foldable Shopping Bags in random colors! Comfortable to carry, will not make your palms uncomfortable even carrying too heavy thing.
- Unfolded size: 55*42cm/21.65'' x 16.5'', folded size: 12.5*7.5cm/4.9'' x 2.95'', folding into a small bag and fits in your pocket, generous appearance, lightweight and compact, easy to carry and store, doesn't take too much place.
Rank #4
- WHAT DOES 80LBS OF GROCERIES LOOK LIKE? You’re about to find out! Because these heavy duty reusable grocery bags are made from 12oz canvas, double stitched, overlocked and cross stitched on the handles! And so each one of these organized shopping bags holds 80lbs! Load them up with as much as you want.
- REAL BOTTLE POCKETS – NOT SLEEVES: Each bag is 15 x 15 x 10” making it one of the largest large canvas grocery bags on the market, today! And we’ve fitted our cloth shopping bags with 6 fully sewn pockets for 2L bottles, but also to separate smaller things. It’s like a handy bag within a bag!
- THE LONG/SHORT HANDLE LETS YOU CHOOSE HOW TO CARRY IT! Unlike other bags with only one handle VeraMia Cloth Grocery Bags have a 25” shoulder strap AND a 13” short handle. Each handle is 1.5” thick so no matter how you carry your reusable grocery bag, it gives you the most utility, and comfort.
- 100% NATURAL COTTON GROCERY BAGS: Canvas shopping bag with no ugly logos and no chemical treatment. They are machine washable grocery bags and while they will wrinkle a little, it’s nothing like how the others shrink! So Don’t freak out, it’s normal. Flatten while wet, or iron once dry.
- WINE BAG TO FARMERS MARKET BAG! We don’t need to tell you how practical reusable canvas grocery bags are. But remember, only a VeraMia Canvas Tote for groceries has a dual handle, REAL bottle pockets, holds 80lbs and is one of the biggest you’ve seen! So order this set of 3 canvas bags now from VeraMia.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
