Hobart’s Farm Gate Market set to continue with more strict social distancing measures in place

‘You touch it – you buy it’ will be one of the strict new rules in place at at a popular farmer’s market after crowds at last week’s event were called “concerning”.

HOBART’S popular produce market will continue this Sunday with strict new social distancing measures in place after the event drew criticism from the Premier earlier this week.

Farm Gate Market event manager Madi Seeber-Peattie said this morning the market would only have stalls on either side of Bathurst St between Murray and Elizabeth streets.

“We will have attendants at each entrance of the market to control the numbers within the in site order to continue our compliance with the four square metres per person requirement,” she said.

“Each stall will continue to be separated by 1.5m with chalk marks on the ground to ensure the public stands 1.5m apart in stall queues. There will continue to be no entertainment, no cooked food, no seating and no kids’ play area.”

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After last Sunday’s market, Premier Peter Gutwein said images of crowds he had seen were “very concerning” and that he had asked police to attend the market to ensure people kept their distance.

“If we’re going to have a crowd that looks like a football crowd at a food market, then that’s not working, and we will need to look at both the model going forward and whether or not markets like that can continue to go forward in the current circumstances,” he said at the time.

Ms Seeber-Peattie said this week’s market would have eight hand washing stations and every stall will have its own hand washing station.

“Importantly, there will be no tasting plates on stalls and a new rule: ‘If you touch the produce – you buy that produce’,” she said.

Ms Seeber-Peattie said without the market, about 40 Tasmanian farmers and food

producers would have no income.

“We are also currently developing an alternate distribution method that will permit vulnerable community members to access our produce,” she said.