Save the Preston Market group’s six-year battle to save market home
From “rowdy” council debates to protests on the streets, the Preston Market has stirred up lots of debate and controversy for residents and politicians alike.
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A popular market in Preston has been a battleground for six years as its owner attempts modernisation while residents battle to maintain its storeyed history.
The Preston Market has stood for more 50 years but the next few months shape as the most crucial in its history.
Leader has chronicled the key moments of the battle of the market, with its future expected to be decided this year.
2017
Preston Market Developments is a joint venture between market owners Salta Properties and Medich Corporation. Its plans for two 10-storey buildings and one 14-storey tower on the Preston Market land were subject to a “rowdy” Darebin Council meeting.
It was labelled the “most important” decision of a councillor’s career but the council unanimously rejected the plans despite the council officer’s recommendation to approve the project.
The developers took the plans to VCAT after the council knocked back the initial plans. The project stalled while it waited for a tribunal decision, but Salta Properties managing director Sam Tarascio criticised the campaign against the proposal.
“We know that while there is genuine concern about the future of the market, many of our traders, shoppers and the local community support the development plans,” he said.
Former Planning Minister Richard Wynne moved to ease concerns over the development with a series of interim planning controls, including a height restriction for the towers.
“Today I’m putting in place interim height controls … because we want to ensure that what is great about the Preston Market is retained,” he said at the time.
VCAT vindicated the Preston Market Developers’ wishes and green light the project to build the 283 units with concerns over the impact on the market’s character labelled a “misapprehension”.
2018
The market was knocked back from inclusion on the state heritage register after being dubbed “not an influential or pivotal example of a produce market”.
State Heritage Register executive director Steven Avery claimed it was “not rare or uncommon’’.
However, there was still hope for some heritage protection after Heritage Victoria urged the council to look at a heritage overlay for the site.
Heritage Victoria labelled the council’s approach as “disjointed” after the council voted against a motion to include the site in an overlay in September 2019. The decision angered residents who labelled the council “bloody-minded”.
2020
Shoppers flocked to the Preston Market early in the year as market stallholders filled the void left by empty supermarket shops.
A leaked report showed the market had local heritage significance and should be protected. However, the same report noted the buildings were “nearing the end of their life” and renovating them would be “uneconomical and unrealistic”. A report by MGS Architects suggested moving the market to Cramer St would provide the “greatest chance” of success for the market.
A heritage review by RBA Architects and Heritage consultants concluded the market had “local historical, aesthetic, technical and social significance”.
It paved the way for the council to make a last-ditch attempt to protect the market by demanding the “strongest possible protections”, including a heritage overlay.
The council delivered its vision as part of its Heart of Prestoninitiative but its plans did not please everyone with one councillor slamming it as “shameful” as it didn’t oppose relocation.
“Saving the market doesn’t mean you relocate it,” Cr Gaetano Greco said.
“We’ve just completely capitulated on what the community’s desire is for the site.”
2021
New plans were revealed for the market as the Victorian Planning Authority proposed keeping the fresh food centre but allowing enough houses for “6000 people”.
Under its proposal, new homes — including social housing — and offices would be built in towers up to 20-storeys. The fruit and vegetable shed would remain but the rest of the market would be reoriented to the south and a new entry built on Cramer St.
2022
A Standing Advisory Committee was called for last year to thrash out views from key stakeholders over the market’s future.
It was a long process — the hearing lasted six weeks — as the developers, the council and the Save Preston Market group had its say.
In the aftermath, the resident’s group was left feeling like it had “shaken it up a bit”.
As part of the state election, the state government committed to announcing a decision in 2023. Traders spoke out against the potential changes to the market after battling for years under current conditions.
2023
The SAC was meant to release its findings weeks after the hearing but the resident group claim it has not seen them.
It led to considerable angst from residents as they slammed the delay as being typical of the “flawed” planning process.
In recent times, the Save the Preston Market group has taken its fight to the streets.
The resident group has indicated it had plans for more action this year as the decision deadline looms but its first action was a public protest in Coburg.
The group gathered at Preston state Labor MP Nathan Lambert’s office and plastered the outside signage criticising Mr Tarascio.
The wait for a decision on the market’s future remains ongoing but is expected this year.
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