Save the Preston Market group are inviting the entire community to show solidarity by holding hands around the entire market.
The ‘Hands Around Preston Market’ event will be held on Saturday August 12 at 11am under the Preston train station, in a public display of their demand of 100 per cent retention and public acquisition of the market.
HR practitioner and key group member Con Lambros tells Neos Kosmos that they have handed out thousands of leaflets across northern Melbourne.
“The Hands Around the market initiative is a demonstration that we want to protect our market. We don’t want it to be touched or demolished,” he said.
“Hopefully people who love the market can see the value of that and it’s probably one of the last large things that we’ll do before a decision (by Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny) is made.
“Hopefully a decision will be made around that time and it’s a positive decision, but we’ll still go ahead with the event.”
Lambros says they hope for a massive turnout and even suggested a Greek spin on the event.
“If we get enough people to link arms or link hands around the market, that would be fantastic,” he said.
“And for some people, it’s their normal shopping day, so they’ll come anyway.
“I gave them the idea, but I think logistically it’s too difficult, I said we should try to go for the Guinness Book of Records World’s largest Zorba,” he joked.
As reported on by Neos Kosmos previously, minister Kilkenny plans to expand heritage protections at the 53-year-old market and allow some mid-rise development, while adhering to SAC findings.
The Save the Preston Market group met with Kilkenny on July 19 after a long battle to do so, to further campaign against demolition of any part of the market.
Immediately after their meeting, Kilkenny and her office met with a small representative group of traders whose narrative is they don’t want to lose a day’s trade, and don’t want the market to shut.
In recent developments, the Preston Market Development group announced this week, that they will delay issuing the traders with notices to vacate until October, but assure they do not wish to do this. They are also looking to meet with the planning minister.
With further uncertainty on the new plans and if the market will close, the community are being told they can play their part in supporting, by attending the Hands Around Preston Market event.
