Highlands Marketplace in Mittagong is set

to resume this month after Wingecarribee

Council said it was satisfied Aldi had

fulfilled its heritage obligations.

Council director of environment and

planing Scott Lee said he spoken to project

manager Johnathan Harris on Wednesday

morning following a motion at council’s

meeting on April 8 to initiate a dialogue

with Aldi on the issue.

In early February relics from the Fitz

Roy Ironworks were discovered by Aldi

builders and worked was stopped while

Aldi’s heritage consultants and the

Heritage Office at the Department of

Planning assessed their significance.

The Heritage Office said the relics were

of “local significance only” and gave Aldi

the all clear to resume construction after a

short excavation to remove the relics this

month.

Mittagong historians Leah Day and Tim

McCartney urged council to do more to

protect the remnants of the ironworks

after substantial areas of Australia’s first

ironworks were discovered in 2005 by

Woolworths during the building of its

supermarket.

Council resolved to contact Aldi to find

out exactly what was going on but held off

on utilising Mrs Day and Mr McCartney as

consultants on the process.

Mr Lee said Aldi had abided by all of its

conditions of consent, which stated if

items of heritage significance are found

the construction must accommodate

them.

He added Aldi’s heritage consultants

Gooden Mackay Logan worked with

Woolworths when they preserved part of

the ironworks it found and knew the site

well.

Council was not initially consulted on

the discoveries in February and council’s

heritage consultant Peter Kabaila was left

out of the process entirely.

Mr Lee said Aldi only had an obligation

to contact the department of planning and

council’s heritage advisor wasn’t needed

because they had “adequate experts on

site”.

Aldi would have to amend its plans if