July 3, 2020
A petition to try to convince Wesfarmers to convert Murgon’s doomed Target Country store into a small format Kmart has officially closed – and organisers are stunned with the response.
South Burnett Division 5 councillor Kathy Duff organised an online petition – and a paper equivalent – after Wesfarmers announced in May the Target Country store would close in “early mid-2021”.
Cr Duff said Target Country provided a vital service to the Murgon and Cherbourg communities, selling items such as women’s underwear and linen that were not available elsewhere nearby.
The online petition attracted more than 3550 signatures.
The paper petition – which was available to sign in Murgon shops as well as in Cherbourg, Goomeri, Kilkivan, Proston and Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington’s office in Kingaroy – attracted another 1100 signatures, and more copies are still coming in.
Cr Duff said the online petition would now be printed out and added to the written sheets.
She said South Burnett Mayor Brett Otto would send copies to the Kmart Group and to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Cr Duff said she was really happy with the community’s support of the petition but she was not confident the Kmart group would respond to it positively.
However, Cr Duff said she hoped the petition may generate interest elsewhere in the fate of the store.
“I am hoping that in some way, shape and form something will happen. It may not be a Kmart Hub but I hope something will come along and fill the gap.”
In late May, a Kmart spokesperson said the decision to close the Murgon store was final.
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