Byron Bay’s popular monthly community market and the weekly farmers market are to be temporarily relocated for six months while the Byron bypass is being constructed.
From July this year the community market will move to the beachfront and the farmers market will move to the Cavanbah Centre and locals and visitors who love the markets are urged to continue the great tradition of their monthly poke around artisan stalls or doing their weekly shop and buying amazing produce.
“Our markets are great cultural icons of our community and amazing economic incubators and all Councillors are strong supporters of the markets and the fabulous businesses that trade there,” Byron Shire Mayor, Simon Richardson, said.
The operators of both markets have been working closely with Council for months, trying to find alternative sites for the markets.
“Staff and market operators have gone through an exhaustive process to find temporary sites, on either Council-managed or private land, that will accommodate stall holders and visitors and the beachfront and Cavanbah Centre are seen to be the most viable venues available,” Mayor Richardson said.
“Certainly there are constraints with the beachfront location for the community market with traffic a key consideration and this is one thing we will be monitoring closely.
“Similarly there are aspects of the Cavanbah Centre that aren’t perfect for the farmers market including the move away from the town centre.
“But when you balance the constraints with cancellation of the markets for six months this is the best option.
“Market stalls are businesses providing regular incomes for people and families, many of them locals, and to cancel the markets would have a huge impact on their livelihoods.
“Change is difficult for people but this is only short-term so I am hoping that local residents and regular market goers will make a conscious decision to continue to support the markets, and the stall holders, as they have done for years,” Mayor Richardson said.
“Keep supporting, keep loving our markets and keep the tradition of a great experience alive,” he said.
The markets will move back to the Butler Street Reserve in February 2020.
