Market set to jump another hurdle

By Sarah Schwager
A LONG-AWAITED community market could finally be on its way to Cranbourne.
The Cranbourne Community Trash and Treasure Market may be held on the pony club paddock at the Cranbourne Racecourse, with the Cranbourne Turf Club this week expressing support for the plan.
Cranbourne residents John Foley and Alan Lucy have lobbied unsuccessfully for a market for the past 18 months.
While they are still awaiting confirmation from the Cranbourne Race Centre, which manages the venue, this is the closest they have come to bringing a market to Cranbourne.
The final decision will depend on whether the market can work around the 100 race meetings a year and fit in with those using the training facilities.
“We’ve got the nod, but there are still a few things to iron out,” Mr Foley said.
“But it is looking pretty positive at this stage.”
They hope to open the market in the first week of October.
Cranbourne Turf Club president Neil Bainbridge said the market was certainly on the drawing board.
He said while the venue was first and foremost a racing centre, the Cranbourne Race Centre was keen to see it utilised as much as possible.
“There are a number of things that need to be worked on in the larger calendar,” Mr Bainbridge said.
“But we are very keen to put something back into the community and allow the community to use this wonderful asset.”
Mr Foley and Mr Lucy, who have more than 50 years of market experience between them, have jumped a lot of hurdles to get to this stage.
They originally tried to set up the market behind the Cranbourne Library complex but faced difficulties because of the building of the new Cranbourne Aquatic and Leisure Centre.
The pair also tried to secure space at the Chisholm Institute and at the car park in front of Centro Cranbourne Shopping Centre.
A community market was held at the racecourse about 10 years ago on Sundays but faded out because of competition with other popular markets in the area.
Mr Foley said the pair planned to run the market once a fortnight on Saturdays.
“Stallholders are loathe to leave a place where they feel comfortable to go to a ‘what if’ market,” he said.
Other nearby markets run on a Sunday include Dandenong, Berwick and Wantirna.
Mr Foley, who is long retired, said the aim of the Cranbourne market was to put something back into the community.
“We aim to make a market with prices that are acceptable to people,” he said.
“We also aim to take the stress away from stallholders.”
Mr Foley said visitors to the market would be asked for a gold coin donation, with all proceeds going to charity.
The first plan is to fund a community bus for Cranbourne.
Mr Foley said the market would also bring a lot of extra people to Cranbourne, helping boost local business.
Cranbourne MP Jude Perera also put his support behind the market.
“Cranbourne needs a community market and I am pleased to be working with Mr Foley and others in supporting his initiative directly to the executives of Cranbourne Turf Club,” he said.