New fresh food market given green light to open in Melbourne’s booming west

A market selling locally grown fruit and veg, meat and homewares across nearly 100 stalls will soon open in Melbourne’s booming west. Here's what's in store for shoppers.

Point Cook will be home to the first fresh food market in Melbourne’s outer west.

Melbourne’s outer west will soon be home to a fresh food market, the first of its kind for the area.

Plans for the 93-stall Starr Point Market in Point Cook were last week given the green light by the state’s planning tribunal.

Once up and running, the market on Point Cook Rd will sell a mix of fresh produce, including locally grown fruit and vegetables, as well as meat and a smattering of non-food items such as craft goods, clothing and homewares.

MORE WYNDHAM NEWS

WOMAN GUILTY OVER BIG W ASSAULT ON ‘HELPFUL CUSTOMER’

PRIVATE SCHOOL PLANS FOR POINT COOK REJECTED

GOOD NEWS FOR JOB SEEKERS IN MELBOURNE’S NORTHWEST

VCAT’s approval comes after an earlier proposal — more than double the size — was knocked back by Wyndham Council primarily because of “unreasonable traffic impacts” on the already congested area.

But VCAT ruled the smaller scale market had addressed the council’s concerns, including scrapping the entrance originally slate for congested Point Cook Rd, and would be a suitable use for the land.

Public access to the site will instead be from Saltwater Promenade or Point Cook Homestead Rd.

“We are not persuaded that … there will be unreasonable or unmanageable impacts on the surrounding road network,” the tribunal stated.

“This is an area where main roads are being upgraded in response to increased traffic volumes from new and proposed developments and the traffic from the market can be accommodated onto that network.”

The plans also came under fire from competitors at nearby Sanctuary Lakes, SOHO Point Cook and Tribecca Village shopping centres who feared it would affect their bottom line.

But the tribunal dismissed their concerns.

“The market is trading in fresh food and foodstuffs and is not a regular shopping centre offering an almost unlimited range of products and services,” the ruling said.

“While the market will have some economic impact on existing centres, the limited product range combined with projected growth in trading for those centres means the impact will be relatively minor.

“We also acknowledge that the market will provide employment and benefits to suppliers and consumers in providing a more diversified retail choice given it is the first market of this type in Melbourne’s outer west.”

Underground carparking, bicycle spaces and greenhouses will also be built on the site.

Opening hours are yet to be confirmed.