Salamanca Market: Business groups join call to save stalls from rent hike

Raising rents on Salamanca Market stalls would only serve to damage the state’s top tourist attraction, business groups say.

Robert Mallett, Emma Hope and Michael Bailey on Parliament Lawns in Hobart on Thursday, March 16, 2023.

BUSINESS groups have joined the call for Hobart City Council to drop a plan to hike the rents paid by stallholders at Salamanca Market, saying it would damage a tourism icon.

Market participants are angry at plans to increase the cost of operating stalls at the popular venue, which will go before council at the end of this month.

They say increasing costs will make it harder to make a living.

Small Business Council of Tasmania chief executive Robert Mallett said the state could not afford to damage its top tourist attraction.

“I think it’s a pity that the Hobart City Council chooses to kill the goose that lays the golden egg,” he said.

“Salamanca is the one thing in Hobart that everybody around the world would identify as Tasmanian.

“For the city council to want to kill that by raising rates is unbelievable.”

Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief Michael Bailey said the rent rise would be “diabolical” for many stallholders.

“To have the council putting their rents up by such an amount for many of those businesses will be hugely problematic.

“I call on Hobart city to review the rentals that they’re looking at for Salamanca stallholders.

“Salamanca is a tourist attraction. Fundamentally it’s Tasmania’s number one tourist attraction.

“We don’t want to interfere with that.”

The Salamanca Market. Photo – Alastair Bett

City of Hobart CEO Kelly Grigsby said no final decision had been made and further consultation would take place.

“Elected members have received a briefing from the relevant council officers during a workshop on Tuesday night,” she said.

“An officer report has been prepared and a draft copy of the agreement will be considered by council.

“The report from council officers seeks council endorsement to begin a 30-day consultation period with stallholders as per the process outlined in the current stallholders agreement.

“We encourage all stallholders and the Salamanca Market Stallholders Association (SMSA) to formally submit feedback for consideration during the consultation period.

“All submissions will be considered and further negotiations will take place with the SMSA and a final position is presented to council for approval at the May council meeting.”

SMSA president Emma Hope said her members were worried.

“It’s extremely concerning these sort of rent rises are in the works. We have 300 really hardworking small businesses down at Salamanca,” she said.

Council has forbidden those briefed on the rent rises from revealing to others the exact amounts of the rent hikes.

The matter is expected to be discussed at a council meeting on March 20.