‘People’s panel’ rejects key parts of $250m Queen Victoria Market refurb

The $250 million redevelopment of Queen Victoria Market could effectively be dead after a “people’s panel” rejected key elements of the Melbourne City Council’s plan.

The $250 million redevelopment of Queen Victoria Market could effectively be dead after a “people’s panel” rejected key elements of the Melbourne City Council’s plan.

The panel has opposed the proposal to put trader facilities and a carpark under century-old market sheds, which were to be restored.

Heritage Victoria had previously refused a permit for the works but council designers had hoped a compromise could be reached with resubmitted plans.

PROTESTERS THREATEN TO DISRUPT QUEEN VIC MARKET WORKS

COUNCIL TO REVISE QUEEN VIC MARKET PLAN

KENNETT SLAMS ‘PEOPLE’S PANEL’ IDEA

Artist's impression of a trader’s pavilion for the original Queen Victoria Market renewal project.

However, the report of the 40-member people’s panel, which was delivered to the council , has recommended that ­facilities go underground under the non-heritage G Shed.

The panel also rejected turning the entire existing carpark on Queen St into a green plaza, favouring instead keeping 500 car spaces and creating open space for the rest of the site.

The panel called for weatherproofing of the heritage sheds and general maintenance work to spruce up the market’s look.

Queen Victoria Market is still popular, but needs refurbishment.

Panel member Mary-Lou Howie said the process had ­delivered commonsense and practical ideas.

“We hope the council ­accepts the recommendations in good faith and trends away from this enormous ­redevelopment of the market that would have endangered trade,” she said.

Sources close to the council have told the Herald Sun that the panel’s report is likely to sound the death knell for the original project after more than $18 million was spent on ­business cases and other preparatory work.

Sally Capp with a market trader during this year’s lord mayoral by-election campaign.

In August, the council was split over whether to appoint the people’s panel to vet the project, with Lord Mayor Sally Capp backing it as an important community engagement process. But Deputy Lord Mayor Arron Wood and three other councillors opposed it, saying it would just mire the project in more red tape and the council should get on with the redevelopment.

The People’s Panel report will be presented to councillors for consideration at a meeting on December 10.

Former premier Jeff Kennett said the panel was a bureaucratic cop-out jeopardising the city icon’s future and was “death by a thousand cuts”.

[e-mail]

@JMasanauskas