Protecting Melbourne’s Treasured Queen Victoria Market

Picture: Rob Gunstone

Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Planning Richard Wynne joined Lord Mayor Robert Doyle today to progress plans for the transformation of the largest open-air market in the southern hemisphere.

The redevelopment will provide desperately-needed repairs to the internationally-renowned market and give traders renewed opportunities to grow their business.

The project will deliver new cold storage facilities, power, and modern toilets, as well as improved car parking and pedestrian access.

The redevelopment will create 2,500 jobs during construction, and pave the way for a precinct that will accommodate more than 60,000 jobs.

To protect the character of Queen Victoria Market and enable works to begin, the Labor Government has approved new planning controls.

Strict heritage controls protecting the market will be maintained, as will existing height controls over the market sheds and fresh food halls.

The Government has also applied a new mandatory height control of 125 metres on the nearby Munro site to preserve and protect the market.

Queen Victoria Market has traded continuously since 1878 and now attracts about 10 million visitors every year.