Residents of East Arnhem Land have been taken by surprise as Woolworths announced the closure of its Gove store without prior consultation, leaving local communities scrambling for alternatives.

Situated in Nhulunbuy, the Gove store is set to close its doors by the end of June 2027. This shutdown will leave the region without a major supermarket, forcing residents to travel up to 1,000 kilometers to reach the nearest Woolworths in either Katherine or Darwin.

The news has sparked concern among Nhulunbuy locals and community organizations, notably the Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation, who are voicing their distress over the impending closure.

Members of the Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation Board had just returned from Canberra, where they were advocating for federal investment into the region, when they were blindsided by Woolworths’ decision to shut down the store.

Wanyubi Marika, Chair of the Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation, highlighted in a statement that people living in East Arnhem Land face a “unique and highly vulnerable position” regarding food security.

He elaborated, “Given our remote location, our sole dependable supply chain is through barge deliveries, which greatly restricts our access, choice, and flexibility.”

“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.”