The Preston Market development saga hit a milestone on Monday when Sonia Kilkenny, Minister for Planning, released new planning controls.
These amendments follow the SAC findings of heritage protections, and include an Activity Centre Zone, a Development Plan Overlay, a Development Contributions Plan Overlay, an Environmental Audit Overlay and a Parking Overlay.
In the amendments the Development Plan Overlay now requires that a “permanent location of the market to be identified in the development plan, with the market being substantially located within the heritage market structure.”
Before any development can occur, the proponent will need to prepare a market continuity plan to the satisfaction of the
Minister for Planning that outlines how the market will continue to operate during and after any redevelopment within the precinct, including any arrangements for temporary relocation.
Kilkenny on ABC Radio’s Melbourne Drive, said any development has to follow the heritage overlay when creating a new development plan.
“I think what we’ve seen today with the introduction of planning controls is hopefully some certainty now for community, for traders, for the developer, for local council, and a planning process a path forward to redevelop what’s a really vibrant and thriving precinct,” she told the ABC’s Raph Epstein.
The traders have long feared that they may have to shut down during development, with developers and owners having previously said they cannot work on construction unless they close.
The minister says she cannot give any guarantee the market won’t close as it is privately owned land, but she recognises the significance of it being able to remain open during development.
Chris, who runs Contraband Coffee Traders, he says for him and the other traders it is all about the people involved in the market and not the buildings.
“In an ideal world, we keep it all the same and we all go on living happily ever after, but if retaining the buildings and retaining the businesses, and the traders, and the families and the community, if those things are mutually exclusive, personally I don’t really care about the buildings,” he said.
Traders are obviously concerned about having to shut down while development takes place.The minister said that any development would have to guarantee continued trading and no disruption to the market traders.
Sam Tarascio, managing director of Salta Properties, the market owners, says they didn’t know the new plans were going to be released this week and that they were blindsided by the public announcement. He also says the development plans won’t be received well by traders at the market and as a developer he didn’t get what he wanted from the government.
“It’s completely different to what we’ve been talking to them about, and about what they’re expecting for their future,” he told the ABC.
“For us it’s a huge concern because we can’t give them the certainty they need for their businesses.
“We’re almost back to square one from when we started five years ago, it’s a complete waste of five years.”
The local community who are opposed to the redevelopment as was presented, and those market traders that have fought the proposed redevelopment of the market will notch this up as a win – for now at least. Those in opposition to the redevelopment plans were successful in almost winning the seat off Labor in the last election which has made the state government more attuned to local passions about “saving Preston market.”
At the same time, given the pressure to increase housing stock, particularly in a vibrant hub centred around the Preston Market has not subsided, Sam Tarascio from Salta Properties will need to be able to build around a functioning market which is itself a very complex issue, that is if the group are still committed to the project.
The Save the Preston Market group, who have been fighting against closure, find the announcement as a “massive win” for the community, however, the group are also fighting for public acquisition of the market.
As part of this fight, they are requesting the community meet at the Preston Train Station on Saturday August 12 to get their “Hands Around Preston Market”.
