AUSVEG is calling on Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to intervene and postpone the planned August 3 relocation of the Melbourne Market to its new site at Epping for another month.

The state’s vegetable growers and other stake holders have repeatedly raised a number of legitimate concerns about the readiness of the new wholesale market site to house operations ahead of the planned full relocation from the current West Melbourne premises.

“Despite repeated requests from Victorian vegetable growers for the move to be postponed, the State Government has remained insistent that the relocation to Epping will go ahead as planned,” said AUSVEG spokesperson Stefan Oberman.

“Such an approach demonstrates a worrying lack of common sense when you consider serious doubts remain about the readiness of the site to begin hosting stallholders.”

“Growers have raised concerns about incomplete warehousing facilities, the slow rate at which access cards are being issued, and the increased volume of paperwork resulting from the move.”

“We are also facing the possibility that those growers who actually have their warehouses ready for operation, could be turned away because they haven’t received their ID entry cards.”

“With such a range of issues yet to be resolved, Premier Andrews must intervene and put an end to this farcical situation by postponing the move.”

AUSVEG is the leading horticultural body representing Australia’s 9,000 vegetable and potato growers.

“Unless this situation is resolved, some growers have warned that they will end up having to trade out of the back of their trucks at the incomplete Epping site.”

“Some have even suggested they may not be able to maintain their current level of supply to customers.”

“By making things too hard there is a very real risk that an increasing number of growers will choose to bypass the market entirely, meaning the Epping site could end up being little more than an expensive white elephant.”

“Given this process has already been drawn out for well over a decade, surely there is scope to postpone the move for just a few more weeks until the new site is ready.”

“Somebody needs to apply some common sense to the situation and we’re calling on Premier Andrews to do precisely that.”

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Stefan Oberman, AUSVEG Spokesperson

Phone: (03) 9882 0277, Mobile: 0475 359 442, Email: stefan.oberman@ausveg.com.au