Put on you oxygen masks
because this is a high level discussion. The Queen Victoria Market should be a co-operative. We don't mean a statutory co-operative but an organisation based on co-operation.
Currently we are
organised as a property management company (The Queen Victoria Market Pty.
Ltd.) and a large group of small retailers. The property management company
makes no apologies for concentrating on its rental return to the owners. The
small businesses make no apologies for concentrating on maximising retail sales
to the customers.
Turn your oxygen level
up a bit higher - what if QVM was run as a co-operative entity where both sides
simple worked for the betterment of the market? That would mean working for the
owners, the traders, and the customers. In fact, if the owners and traders just
concentrated on customers, that would make things even easier. We could
actually work together to achieve results.
Here is the basic
premise. The key word is CO-OPERATION. Let’s have a look at what this could mean,
look and feel like.
Co-operation is defined
as: “The process of working
together to the same end”.
"Work as a team to
achieve common goals" what a radical, incendiary, absurd
idea! Not really is it, it sort of makes incredible sense. Basically
the trick is to take the “them” out
of us and them.
Well how might it work
in real life?
Let’s take some
examples. If traders looked past THEIR short term inconvenience of
construction they might see an underground car park as the best option
for US (all the stakeholders of QVM) and OUR market.
Locating car parking immediately adjacent to trading areas, removing the
unsightly (and dangerous) food loading facilities underground, and
concentrating on food presentation all make sense. But, there is a short term
business penalty for US traders – construction zones reduce takings. So we
need to add in a dose of compromise, and give and take. (And, yes there needs
to be compensation for hardship, but let’s keep this simple just for now.)
Or what about shuttle
buses? If management stopped looking at THEIR bottom line they would
see that shuttle buses could be an important tool, certainly for picking up
city tourists who are the lifeblood of the top end, but also for cruise ships
and nearby community groups. Only traders seem to understand that a cruise ship
can impact dramatically on stall turnovers throughout the whole market.
Council’s (THEIR) bean counters, focussing on THEIR bottom line again
have said no to that proposition even though it would raise OUR level of
business, including during a construction phase. Yes now it’s THEIR turn to
compromise (oops, there we go again - yeah it's going to take a while to get
out of this habit).
True co-operation cannot
be based on an ‘us and them’ mindset or culture. And this is probably the first
thing that needs to be changed if co-operation is truly to become a reality and
not just a radical, crazy out-of-this world pipe dream.
And surely few would
argue that this wouldn’t be a positive step forward for QVM. Just think of how
much time and resources we spend pulling in opposite directions at QVM. Few would argue
that we need a culture change.
When we talk about US we
need to include everybody associated with the Queen Victoria Market. Including the part of that US that
is associated with Melbourne Council, the bit that is our management company,
that pretty big chunk that needs to do a bit of selling and that really big bit
that would like to do a bit of buying or visiting.
Honestly, there really is
no argument. If you look at this logically and reasonably, if you really are
interested in the Queen Victoria Market, what we need is to work as a team
to CO-OPERATE so as to make this a better place for everybody.
So is this high level
thinking, plain common sense, or just a radical, crazy pie in the
sky?