A new feasibility study is set to be commissioned by Sydney Markets Limited (SML) to assess the efficiencies and inefficiencies of the market, as well as analysing the current operation and determining its future needs.
The Future of the Markets Project will also investigate development scenarios for the current site at Flemington as well as potential new sites.
Sydney Markets, the largest wholesale fruit, vegetable and flower market in Australia, has occupied the 43 hectare Flemington site for more than 40 years and according to Sydney Markets Limited CEO, Brad Latham it’s time to see how the current site stacks up moving into the future.
“It’s a really exciting time. The market still operates quite well, the public works department still stands up (but) some tenants are asking about extra space and logistically speaking our wholesalers’ storage should be connected to where they sell their produce rather than on the perimeter of the market so it’s the right time to look at the project and plan for the future,” Mr Latham said.
Sydney Markets is a huge operation with about 120 wholesalers, 394 produce growers, 172 flower growers/sellers and more than 160 supporting businesses located on site at Flemington.
Five hundred semi-trailers and trucks unload at the Flemington site each night as it supplies thousands of retailers, providers, florists and food processors each day keeping some 5000 people employed in businesses onsite.
Given the Sydney Markets wholesale operation supplies fresh fruit and vegetables to over two thirds of the Australian population and overseas, a growing population means that it is essential to grow its supply chain.
Nick Martelli, president of Freshmark, The NSW Chamber of Fruit & Vegetable Industries Inc, is supportive of the study which he describes as a think tank on if and how we can do it better.
Mr Latham has stressed that while no decision about moving the markets has been made it makes sense to explore their options while they can still secure a site relatively close to the city.
Sydney Markets nominee director wholesale market, Shaun McInerney said opinions amongst the wholesalers about a potential move for the market are quite varied.
“A lot of people would welcome the move to a new site and there are others who still think that the current site still has plenty of life left in it," Mr McInerney said.
“It is our responsibility to ensure the long term viability of the market. We are in a really good place to plan for the future.”
