From Sunday 5 March the monthly Byron Bay Community market will move from the beach front to the centre of town.
Jonson Street, between Marvell Street and Byron Street, will be closed to traffic on the first Sunday of each month with the market to spread from Jonson Street, through Railway Park and into the rail corridor.
Traffic detours will be in place for stall owners to set up and pack down and for the duration of the market and the Byron Bay bypass will allow drivers to avoid the central business district (CBD).
Byron Shire Mayor, Michael Lyon, said relocating the market will transform the centre of town into a vibrant precinct filled with music, delicious food and market stalls.
“Bringing people instead of cars into the CBD is a key priority of the Byron Bay Town Centre Masterplan and I think people will really enjoy wandering through the rail corridor, Railway Park and into Jonson Street and the shops beyond,” Mayor Lyon said.
“Many people are not aware of the large amount of green space in the CBD and it will be terrific to see it full of people,” he said.
The current location of the market on the beachfront was only meant to be temporary.
The market moved to the beach front in July 2019 when the original market site, Butler Street Reserve, was closed to allow for the construction of the Byron Bay bypass.
The bypass was opened in March 2021 but the market did not move back to Butler Street Reserve because the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) determined that because the Reserve is a contaminated former tip, that it is not appropriate to host an event the size of the community market without Council undertaking further investigations and potentially remediation work.
“We think that moving the community market to the town centre will be extremely positive for stall holders, businesses, visitors and of course locals,” Mayor Lyon said.
Electronic message boards will be in place, advising of the traffic and parking changes and information is also on .
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