East Arnhem Land communities have been left in the lurch after Woolworths "failed" to consult them on the closure of the Gove store.
The store, located in Nhulunbuy in East Arnhem Land will shut at the end of June 2027. No major supermarket remains in the area, with the closest Woolworths store being in Katherine or Darwin, up to 1,000 kilometres away.
The announcement has caused distress amongst Nhulunbuy residents and community groups, including Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation.
Members of the Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation Board have returned from Canberra, where they were lobbying Federal Ministers for investment in the region when the Woolworths Group announced their intention to close the store.
In a statement, Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation Chair Wanyubi Marika said those living in East Arnhem Land are in a "unique and highly vulnerable position when it comes to food security".
"As a remote region, our only reliable supply route is by barge, which significantly limits access, choice and flexibility," he said.
"This isolation means there are serious consequences for any disruption to existing food providers."
The Rirratjingu clan senior leader said that Woolworths is "central" to ensuring food security across Gove as there is no viable alternative.
He said despite assurances by the Woolworths Group community voices would be valued, they were ignored.
"Woolworths has failed to bring us into their conversations. They announced their plan without any meaningful consultation with us, or other regional stakeholders," he said.
"Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation will not abandon our people or those in other communities and homelands who will be affected by this decision. Rather, we will harness the demonstrated resilience of the region and lead the development of an effective solution."
Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation has requested negotiations with Woolworths, and the inclusion of the Nhulunbuy community, other Traditional Owner groups, and governments.
"To work with us on developing a fit for purpose solution that serves the interests of all stakeholders," Wanyubi Marika said.
The corporation has also extended a personal invitation to Woolworths Group Chair Scott Perkins and CEO Amanda Bardwell to visit Nhulunbuy and understand the impact of the store closure.
Mr Marika reminded Woolworths of its public commitments under its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and its commitments to Closing the Gap.
He said their stated values of "care and commitment to better outcomes" have been "fundamentally undermined" by the management of this issue with the Gove community.
In a statement to NITV, a Woolworths spokesperson said Nhulunbuy is their most remote and difficult store to access due to stock being delivered by ocean barge.
"Our store was established more than 50 years ago to serve the community that grew around the local mine. With Rio Tinto's planned exit, we are considering how the mine's closure will impact our store's viability," they said.
They noted that they are "in conversation" with an organisation to "take over the running of the supermarket".
"We are in close consultation with our Nhulunbuy team members, traditional owners and the wider community, and we understand the importance of providing certainty for our customers and team as soon as we can."
