Footpath traders have been welcomed back to Footscray – on certain conditions.
Star Weekly earlier this month reported that Maribyrnong Council has been warning the traders to cease operating without a permit, or risk fines up to $500 and having their goods impounded.
The permits cost about $30 per day per trader, out of reach of the mostly elderly Vietnamese-Australian traders selling items such as home-grown herbs, chillies and pot-plants.
The crackdown sparked protests including a ‘trolley flash mob’ held last Saturday and an online Change.org petition that has so far collected more than 360 signatures calling for the council to reverse its policy to enforce fines against the traders.
In response to the outcry, the Footscray Asian Business Association and Maribyrnong Council have joined forces to launch a free ‘Mini Green Market’ in the Little Saigon Plaza, on the corner of Leeds and Byron Streets.
Fantastic initiative by the Footscray Asian Business Association! In response to the $500 fines from Maribyrnong council for having a street stall, the traders have set up a free marketplace to allow community members to continue to sell their fresh produce free of charge ??? pic.twitter.com/yFzKHRgBnl
— kati elizabeth (@kvbeth) June 24, 2018
The market will be held from 9am to 1pm Saturdays, just one block up Leeds Street from where the traders used to be based.
There is no charge for traders, who are welcome to sell fresh produce, flowers and plants.
No eggs, meat, dairy or cooked food can be sold.
The first ‘Mini Green Market’ will be held this Saturday.
