The second stage of QVM Renewal consultation was launched
this week and gained plenty of press.
Articles in The Age and Herald Sun were joined by radio
discussion on ABC Radio and 3AW. The thrust of the second round of consultation
concerns QVM’s preferred option for an onsite underground car park, the
creation of a park over the current car park and a couple of new proposals.
The first of the new proposals is for 7day and possibly 24hr
operation at the QVM site. There has been a common theme over recent years that
the market site is under-utilised and international markets expert, David O’Neil,
confirmed this shortfall during his recent visit to Melbourne. He often talked
about meshing different market activities on the one site so that visitors
could enjoy our market pretty much all the time.
The other proposal which went a little under the radar
concerned turning Queen St. into a no-vehicle, pedestrian mall. Trader Bruce
Pham identified this option in his letter on expanding the Queen Victoria
Market (http://www.victraders.com/2014/04/trader-seeks-market-expansion.html).
Joining the top and bottom ends of the market makes a lot of sense although
removing more car parking is unlikely to get approval from a significant number
of food traders.
This week the second stage of consultation is largely geared
to community responses and the ex Suga candy shop at the bottom of F shed has
been transformed into a community consultation centre. Traders can also express
their views either at the F shed shop, or online here.