Camberwell Market traders cry foul over carpark closure
Traders at Camberwell Fresh Food Market fear one council crackdown, to last 14 months, could force some of them out of business. This is why they’re so worried.
Inner East
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Outraged Camberwell Fresh Food Market traders say a council plan to temporarily close their free all-day parking could be the death knell for some struggling businesses.
Boroondara councillors voted at a July meeting to forge ahead with a $6.7 million overhaul of its Camberwell Community Centre, requiring the partial closure of market traders’ Fairholm Grove carpark while work was underway.
The council-owned vacant block has space for 30 cars, with 20 spaces required during construction, which is expected to take 14 months.
Harry Arhondis, owner of Nick and Sue’s Gourmet Deli, said there was no other free all day parking and traders relied on the vacant block as a source of parking.
Paid parking nearby could cost more than $2000 a year for a single space, he said, seeing businesses take a hit to their bottom line.
“They’ve got every right to take that carpark, but there’s going to be a bit of an uproar here,” he said.
Market Meats co-owner Charlie, who declined to have his full name published, said market traders were already struggling with low revenue and removing the free parking could put the nail in the coffin for some.
The council should consider reducing rents for stallholders to offset the parking costs, he said, while Luba Juzhang of Market Poultry predicted fights would break out over the remaining 10 spaces.
Peter Tripatgis of Camberwell Market Seafood was the only trader who said he wasn’t worried about the carpark’s closure, but he said it could cause traders and customers to compete for space in the free two hour customer parking area outside the market.
“The council have been fantastic about it because they’ve allowed us to use it for so long,” he said.
While Nathanael Tzilinis of Sweeties Fruit & Nuts said “one man operations” such as his couldn’t use the free two hour parking because it would require leaving their shop unattended.
All the traders the Progress Leader spoke to said they had not heard of the carpark’s closure until approached by the paper.
Many said they would have liked to have been consulted by the council prior to it making a decision.
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Boroondara Mayor Jane Addis said the site would be closed for parking from August 12 and contractors needed the traders’ carpark to store materials.
Market managers were instructed by the council to inform traders of its decision, she said, and traders were informed of alternative paid parking options in the area.
“It is difficult to understand claims by traders that the loss of parking for themselves will impact their business when it is customers who determine the viability of their businesses,” Cr Addis said.
“There remains ample parking for customers in the area.”
The new Camberwell Community Centre will be comprised of three levels including a basement carpark, a 100-seat hall, classrooms, art spaces and a maternity centre.
Work on the centre is expected to begin this month.