Maribyrnong Council under fire for cracking down on street grocers in Footscray with $500 fines

POPULAR street grocers are being forced off Footscray streets under a council crackdown described as ripping the “heart and soul” out of the community.

Footscray street grocers have been banned from selling their produce without a permit. Image via Twitter.

POPULAR street grocers are being forced off Footscray streets under a council crackdown described as ripping the “heart and soul” out of the community.

Maribyrnong Council has come under fire for cracking down on traders who sell items on any council-owned footpath, road or land without its permission.

The dozens of grocers, who line Leeds St, between the Barkly and Byron Streets, will now cop a $500 fine, with their goods impounded if caught out.

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Market traders were made aware of the ban, effective as of June 1, through a street notice board directed at ‘itinerant traders’, which states council officers will patrol the Footscray CBD daily to ensure compliance .

The crackdown has sparked outrage on social media, with residents saying the council are targeting elderly people trying to make a living.

A street grocer on Leeds St. Image via Twitter.

The stalls have become a Footscray icon over the past decade.

Goods range from homegrown produce including fruit, vegetables and herbs to desserts, eggs and plants.

Produce buyer Mark Chu said the culturally-diverse street market was the heart and soul of the Footscray community.

“It represents what Footscray is about — migrants, food and culture,” he said.

“They are harmless, it’s not hurting anyone … the council are just aggressively clearing out a bunch of helpless old people.”

The street noticeboard. Image via Twitter.

The market regularly runs on Saturday mornings, with some traders occasionally known to appear throughout the week.

Footscray Traders Association president Stuart Lucca-Pope said the grocers should not be penalised for selling fresh produce.

“If they were selling cooked food that would be a different story as the regulations around food production and storage are there to protect the public,” Mr Lucca-Pope said.

“I love the life these ladies bring to the street.”

Others on social media have labelled the ban as “outrageous” and “unacceptable”, pleading for the council to reconsider the decision.

But Maribyrnong planning services director Nigel Higgins said the council’s response resulted from concerns raised by traders and was a breach of local laws.

“This trading peaks at certain periods and traders line the footpath with mats, selling home grown or cooked items including vegetables and eggs,” he said. “This at times blocks access to the local businesses and prevents all-abilities access.

“It is common knowledge that food can carry contaminants or viruses that can be damaging, if not fatal, to a person’s health. To allow itinerant trading to operate without a permit, council carries the burden of that responsibility.”

Mr Higgins said for two weeks council officers undertook an education campaign with a Vietnamese interpreter advising them of the need for permits.

The notice boards have been translated into Vietnamese and English, he said.

Itinerant trader permits costs about $31.

Councillor Mia McGregor said councillors were not made aware of the decision and she would bring the issue up with the chief executive.

@chanelzagon