As a dispute over rising costs rolls on, the famed market’s fruit and vegetable traders are preparing to shut down their stalls on Tuesday.
As a dispute over rising costs rolls on, the famed market’s fruit and vegetable traders are preparing to shut down their stalls on Tuesday.
By Cara Waters
Updated February 24, 2025 — 3.09pmfirst published at 3.05pm
Queen Victoria Market fruit and vegetable traders are going on strike for the first time in 147 years, preparing to close their stalls on Tuesday.
The traders have accused the City of Melbourne and its market management company, QVM Pty Ltd, of financial mismanagement, shifting costs onto traders and customers to cover budget shortfalls.
They are also concerned about ongoing construction at and around the market, which traders say is deterring customers.
Frank Fontana, who operates the Fontana Brothers stall, said what “broke the camel’s back” was a requirement from January 1 this year that traders pay for electricity and waste services – a charge previously included in stall fees.
“It’s death by a thousand cuts,” he said. “I believe this is the first time that any area of the market has come together to strike. This was not a decision taken lightly.
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“It’s not what we wanted to do, it’s what we feel we have to do, sadly.”
Fontana said fruit and vegetable traders had been pushed to the brink.
He estimated the charge would cost his business $10,000 a year, equating to hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra costs across the market.
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“We need to actually do something, not just complain and cop it on the chin,” he said. “We cannot take these hits anymore.”
Lord Mayor Nick Reece pledged to freeze costs for Queen Victoria market traders as part of his election campaign last year.
“Recognising the challenges traders face during the renewal period, a rebate will be provided so that no existing day market traders will see an increase in lease or licence costs over the next four years,” Reece said at the time.
Fontana said Reece had since tried to wash his hands of the traders’ plight “on a technicality” by claiming that the electricity and waste service charge was in the budget before he was elected.
“The buck stops with him,” Fontana said. “We think that he needs to step up and keep his promise that he made to Melbourne in being elected and show that he really does care about the market, not just say it when you’re running for election.”
City of Melbourne councillor Mark Scott, the co-owner of Ripe Cheese in the Queen Victoria Market dairy produce hall, said traders outside the fruit and vegetable sheds were not striking as it was against their lease to do so.
“I support everybody’s right to make their point and they are making their point in a way they feel is appropriate,” he said.
“It is a complex issue. From what I understand from management, I understand and see their point as well.”
Reece has been contacted for comment.
Scott, who ran on Reece’s ticket, said a charge for electricity and waste services was already planned.
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“I think that is a timing issue and this issue has been in train for quite a while,” he said. “Obviously, Nick’s pledge [to freeze costs] has to go through council and has to be approved.”
Mary-Lou Howie, president of the Friends of Queen Victoria Market, said customers for fresh produce were the lowest they had ever been.
“The shrinking number of fruit and vegetable traders, 65 down to around 30, shows intuitively the decline in customers,” she said.
Howie said traders had been hit by decreased advertising, obstruction of construction, closure of Franklin Street, the COVID aftermath, and continued uncertainty around the Lendlease and City of Melbourne southern site development.
“With stall fees already rising 4 per cent annually, traders view these new charges as unjust double-dipping,” she said. “They are demanding fair treatment and transparency.”
QVM boss Matt Elliott said disappointed that “a small number” of traders were choosing not to open for business.
“We have been very aware of the need to keep costs for traders at the market as low as possible and have done everything we can to contain the many cost increases we have faced within the revenue we collected from trader rents alone while also maintaining rental increases well below inflation,” he said in a statement.
“The reality is we simply cannot continue to operate in this way, and the future financial sustainability of the market relies on management making some tough decisions to enable us to continue to deliver the services all our traders need to run their businesses.
“It is also important that all traders pay a fair amount for the services they actually use,” he said.
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