Maclean markets have new managers

CLARENCE Valley Council had tried to work with the previous operators, but were unable to come to an agreement over their tender offer

PACKED: Crowds wander the Maclean Community Markets.PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

AFTER more than 30 years under the control of a small local committee, Maclean Community Markets is about to have a new group in charge.

From the 1980s Betty Irons and her husband, Errol, ran the markets, but last weekend was the final one under the family's control.

The Maclean Lions Club is the new operator of the Maclean community markets.

Clarence Valley Council works and civil director Troy Anderson said the Lions Club had a long and proud history of running community events and was confident they would be successful market operators.

Mr Anderson said council had tried to work with the previous operator to overcome problems with its tender application to operate the markets, however council did not get any information to show it would comply with the requirements of the tender and market policy.

"We'd like to thank the previous operator for their service and we did what we could to get them to submit a tender that met council's requirements, but unfortunately that didn't happen," he said.

"After issues about the tender came before a council meeting in December last year, we wrote to the operators in February inviting them to a meeting to discuss ways they could meet the tender requirements."

Mr Anderson said council received a response, but it fell short of the requirements.

He said council offered staff to work with them to ensure their paperwork met the standards required, but this offer was not taken up.

"On April 18, when we still hadn't received the required information, we wrote to them saying the current arrangements for them to operate the market could no longer continue."

The former operators have not responded to our request for a comment.

Originally published as Maclean markets have new managers