A couple of weeks ago an ABC TV reporter asked traders if they had been bypassed by council in formulating plans for the future of the market.
The answer had to be "Yes" because we don't know what council's plans are. We do know that the Lord Mayor has talked about regenerating the market and making better use of the carpark but nothing more specific.
As far as we know the ABC report never went to air despite the reporter interviewing a number of traders and talking to management. Since then, the Lord Mayor has been interviewed on Channel Ten news and 3AW radio and repeated his comments about the market. We have access to a podcast from 3AW and the rough transcript is as follows –
Robert Doyle being interviewed on the Neil Mitchell show 29/9/11 “A customer survey shows that, for quality of experience, QVM is ranked fourth behind Bourke St. Mall, Federation Square, Lanes and Alleyways, and Chinatown. How do we get that wonderful asset, that people just love, back on track?
When you go in and see the best of it you think “this is just magnificent”, and then I look at this great big area of grey asphalt and this area is just wasted.....and the hideous little sheds that are down the far end of it near Franklin St., which is awful, ......they don’t have running water, they don’t have cool stores, they don’t have the sort of facilities they need ..........and then you get back into the beautiful heritage sheds and you think "this is just wonderful!"
So, I think it is time to start thinking about QVM....we have to protect the traders there because we want it to remain the best fresh food market in Australia.”