By Emma Young
The wildly popular Farmers Market on Manning, one of Perth’s major farmers’ markets, will not close for the forseeable future after state agency DevelopmentWA stepped in.
WAtoday reported last week that the more than 80-stall market visited by more than 3000 people each Saturday would abruptly close within the next few weeks after operating for 15 years.
Farmers Market on Manning recently moved to Bentley.Credit: Development WA
The market organisers did not officially announce the news, only informing individual stallholders who announced their news to customers via social media pages.
The shock news followed the markets’ much-lauded move from George Burnett Park in Manning to Hedley Park, Bentley in October, which DevelopmentWA heralded as a kickstart to Bentley’s long-awaited urban regeneration project. WAtoday understands that DevelopmentWA made the owners of the markets an offer to relocate.
While the private operators have not responded to a request for comment on their reasons for backing out of the deal, DevelopmentWA this week confirmed it would host the markets on the new site “for an interim period” while the Bentley project continued to progress.
“DevelopmentWA recognises the importance of the markets as a key community asset in the area for many years,” DevelopmentWA chief executive Dean Mudford said.
“To support this community, DevelopmentWA have engaged Marketlife, a highly experienced operator, to manage this event for an interim period. This arrangement will enable the market to continue running smoothly while we plan for its future.”
Mudford did not respond to a question on whether the Hedley Park site would be further developed to improve the amenity of the new markets site.
The City of South Perth, meanwhile, has responded to rumours that it kicked the markets out of the former site in Karawara, stating categorically that it did not “request or direct” the market to relocate.
“The city was working with the operator to secure a five-year licence at George Burnett Park when the operator made the decision to relocate,” a spokesperson said.
“The City of South Perth has not been contacted by the market operators but is hopeful that a solution will be found that enables them to continue at the new site.”
Market Life has been contracted to cover the coming weeks, they told markets attendees at the weekend.
The Bentley Redevelopment Project is one of Perth’s biggest urban renewal developments, covering a 30-hectare site aimed at improving the area while adding to housing stocks with 800-1000 new dwellings, including social and affordable.
Stage one began earlier this month, with civil contractors Ertech starting construction.
DevelopmentWA wrote after the markets’ October move that it marked “a new chapter for the Bentley Redevelopment Area, activating the space and bringing the community together in line with our vision for a vibrant, connected neighbourhood”.
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