Fruit and veg fury over waste charges at Queen Vic Market

Fruit and vegetable traders at the Queen Victoria Market are up in arms again over proposed waste charges, despite market management maintaining that the changes simply bring them “into alignment with all other market traders”.

The traders argue that they have worked in good faith on successful cost-cutting initiatives for the market on the understanding that these served as a form of payment in kind.

The relationship between Queen Victoria Market’s (QVM’s) management and its fruit and vegetable traders has again sunk to an extreme low after they received news before Christmas that a controversial waste charge would be reimposed.

The traders, who twice closed their stalls and went on strike over the issue last year, argue they are already paying for waste disposal in their rent and have further offset it through innovations identified by the members of a trader working group.

Outspoken trader representative Frank Fontana described QVM Pty Ltd’s imposition of the charge – which ranges from $12.69 to $58.41 a week ($659 to $3037 annually) per trader – as “morally wrong”.

After last year’s February and March strikes QVM Pty Ltd “came to the table” and agreed to create a working group to look at ways to bring down waste costs in the fruit and vegetable section, Mr Fontana told CBD News.

Since then, two initiatives the stallholders came up with – the diversion of green waste to a farm to feed stock and a pallet recycling scheme – had been implemented and were saving the market $140,000 a year on their former waste contracting charges.

Another two initiatives being considered could bring the total to $290,000.

Mr Fontana insists that a sum of $180,000 that the traders were told they needed to contribute in waste fees had therefore been paid in savings.

“We went into this committee in good faith that we would work together to bring down the cost, and if we achieved that, that it would be finished, and we could move on to the next thing,” he said.

“Because obviously, when traders sit down with management, it works, it produces results.”

“But now we feel like, ‘how can we trust you?’”

A spokesperson for QVM Pty Ltd acknowledged that the working group had delivered significant results, saying these had so far helped to reduce the proposed waste charges by a third. But it added that the new charge was about “fairness”.

“The charges commencing February 1 simply bring fruit and veg into alignment with all other market traders, who have been paying these modest fees since mid-2024,” the spokesperson said.

However, according to Fontana, no market stallholders should be paying for waste removal because it was included in the rent.

“We have a letter from the CFO (chief financial officer), when they increased the rent two or three years ago, saying that cleaning, wastage, electricity and maintenance of the market is included,” he said.

The dispute comes in the context of broad stallholder uncertainty with the post-pandemic downturn in customer numbers and changes to carparking, access and traditional operations as a result of the market’s redevelopment.

Vocal critic and fruit and veg trader Rosa Ansaldo said that her fellow operators were “totally dissatisfied” with the current management.

“They’re so removed from us, they don’t listen to anything,” she said. “There’s no point in going to meetings because they just tick a box and do what they want.”

QVM’s spokesperson noted that trader representatives had declined independent mediation through the Office of Small Business Commissioner.

They also said that stall rent increases over the last decade had been kept low.

“We have worked productively with fruit and vegetable traders over the past year, implementing cost-saving suggestions and reducing proposed charges by a third. When independent mediation was offered, trader representatives declined,” the spokesperson said. •