Hobart City Council is working towards reopening Salamanca Market but resumption date may not be known for two weeks

Plans for a smaller-scale Salamanca Market remain in progress as council reveals a likely restart date and how the new-look event will operate. Latest >>

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A DATE for when a modified Salamanca Market could resume will likely not be known for two weeks, as Hobart City Council tackles the challenging logistics of a scaled-down event.

Last week, breakthrough talks between council and the State Government raised hopes of the event returning with multiple sections to comply with strict gathering limits.

It came after a rule that capped the amount of people allowed at outdoor gatherings at 500 initially stifled plans to relaunch the popular event, that has not run since March due to coronavirus.

But under the new format, there would be multiple separate sections in operation, each with their own entry and exit, allowing for up to 500 people in each.

Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said on Wednesday that August 1 was being considered as the date for the first event, but it is not confirmed.

The new-look, scaled down Salamanca Market could potentially have several sites, each allowing 500 people through at a time. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

It is understood that should the market go ahead as planned, it will initially provide for two distinct areas that would allow a total of up to 1000 people. That number would include staff and stallholders.

Council staff are now considering logistics issues like how the stalls will fit within space parameters, how crowds will be managed, and other safety considerations.

They are also communicating with stallholders to determine how many remain interested in taking part.

Initially, more than 140 stallholders had expressed interest in being part of a scaled-down event after council first raised the possibility last month.

Council had hoped the market would be subject to maximum density requirements of one person per two square metres, rather than be bound by the 500-person limit.

It said that would have allowed up to 1400 people to attend, but the State Government had confirmed that the gathering limit would apply to the market — before the most recent discussions achieved a breakthrough.