Giralang residents have called for an active courting of Aldi and a change to the Territory Plan after Woolworths' decision to remove itself from contention for the suburb's proposed shopping centre.
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But the developer of the Canopus Crescent site said they were "satisfied" with an agreement with competing supermarket owners, despite acknowledging a smaller supermarket site was the only current option.
Lawyer for The Nikias Group, Chris Wheeler, acknowledged this week an 1000-square-metre supermarket – two-thirds the size of the one approved in 2011 – was now the largest option which could occur on their site without a shift in government policy.
Giralang Residents Action Group co-chairs Bill Burmester and Ross Calvert said they encouraged both The Nikias Group and the ACT government to "actively approach Aldi and other possible supermarket service providers" to fill the void left by Woolworths.
"GRAG notes that it is well within the power of the government to change the Territory Plan to make the lease more attractive to Aldi," they said in a statement on Friday.
"This could include changing the supermarket size. However GRAG will oppose any unreasonable reduction in supermarket floor space from the previously approved 1500 square metres."
Mr Wheeler said this month's ACT Court of Appeal victory, where the larger development approval was backed, was "in many ways just symbolic and academic".
"The development model associated with the DA that was disputed in the courts and tribunal is no longer viable and has not been so for some time," he said.
"A new development model will require a new DA" and therefore be subject to the tighter size restrictions of the Territory Plan introduced in 2013, he said.
"The Nikias Group is relieved that the long legal saga is finally over and satisfied with the outcome agreed."
No details on the group's latest plans for the Giralang shops was given, saying simply "stay tuned" when asked when a supermarket tenant would be announced.
Mr Burmester and Mr Calvert said GRAG believed the government should also develop a package of other "civic and community investments" in and near the Giralang site to increase foot traffic volumes and its commercial attractiveness to potential supermarket operators, who would be the anchor tenant.
Woolworths announced its decision to remove itself from the Giralang project plans last week, blaming a national change in business focus.
