NORTH EAST WARD

Candidate responses

Craig Smith: Independent

1. To date, what actions have you taken to support the saving of the Preston Market? Please list your actions.

2. Public acquisition of Preston Market will ensure the improvement, greening & community management of Preston Market. Do you support the public acquisition of Preston Market?  

Yes.

3. The Victorian Planning Authority acknowledges that the planned Preston High Street Activity Centre will create up to 15,300 new dwellings & put more pressure on already lacking public open space in Preston. Do you agree that public acquisition of Preston Market is crucial to addressing this problem?

Yes.

4. If you are elected, will you move a motion within the first 6 months to support & advocate for the public acquisition of the Preston Market?

Yes, or will support when moved by someone else.

Tim Singh Laurence: Indepedent

1. To date, what actions have you taken to support the saving of the Preston Market? Please list your actions.

I have consistently voted to protect the market footprint, Height controls and heritage overlay since 2012. In recent 7 years I have supported heritage I have support the same position as Cr Greco and in this 4 year term we were able to get 5 out of 9 councillors supporting this.

2. Public acquisition of Preston Market will ensure the improvement, greening & community management of Preston Market. Do you support the public acquisition of Preston Market?  

I believe I am one of only 2 councillors who support Public acquisition of Preston Market by State Government. In addition to this I believe Darebin Council can do a land swap with other undeveloped land to acquire the public open space component in the market site to ensure the open space is maintained to a quality level like Preston City Oval and Ray Bramham Gardens.

The State Government via there development arm could purchase the majority of the site but council ownership of open space would create better open space than we see in Docklands.

3. The Victorian Planning Authority acknowledges that the planned Preston High Street Activity Centre will create up to 15,300 new dwellings & put more pressure on already lacking public open space in Preston. Do you agree that public acquisition of Preston Market is crucial to addressing this problem?

Yes. I do not agree with the doubling of Darebin Housing as it will create a massive deficit in open space in Preston. This intensification of population will require the creation of more open space on the Preston Market site and other nearby sites like the Darebin Council carpark to meet acceptable open space guidelines.

4. If you are elected, will you move a motion within the first 6 months to support & advocate for the public acquisition of the Preston Market?

If elected, I will move or second a notice of motion at the first ordinary meeting in November to support & advocate for the public acquisition of the Preston Market either by State Government or by State Government and Darebin Council for open space component.

Darebin Labor

1. To date, what actions have you taken to support the saving of the Preston Market? Please list your actions.

  • Darebin Labor Crs supported Cr Gaetano Greco’s motions on council to save the Preston Market and preserve its footprint. 

  • We want to ensure the continued thriving of businesses. Cr Dimitriadis has lobbied state and federal members of parliament to support the Preston Market.

  • Darebin Labor candidates attended the Save the Preston Market meeting online.

  • Darebin Labor candidates regularly shop and attend the market – it is a very important cultural and retail hub.

2. Public acquisition of Preston Market will ensure the improvement, greening & community management of Preston Market. Do you support the public acquisition of Preston Market? 

  • Darebin Labor will support a council endeavour to investigate the feasibility of acquisition options.

  • Council can contribute to the acquisition of the Preston Market, and we must ensure that costs are not being brought to the traders and the community. This is how we support and enact public acquisition. 

3. The Victorian Planning Authority acknowledges that the planned Preston High Street Activity Centre will create up to 15,300 new dwellings & put more pressure on already lacking public open space in Preston. Do you agree that public acquisition of Preston Market is crucial to addressing this problem?

  • Darebin Labor will support a council endeavour to investigate the feasibility of acquisition options. Darebin Labor believes in supporting the fantastic traders at the Preston market and ensuring they are able to have stability for their businesses for the long term.

  • We need there to be appropriate infrastructure and spaces for the Preston High Street Activity centre. Preston Market should form a part of this and be included in the Master plan.

4. If you are elected, will you move a motion within the first 6 months to support & advocate for the public acquisition of the Preston Market?

  • Darebin Labor will support a council endeavour to investigate the feasibility of acquisition options and will wait until said report is received by council to make a final decision on what should be the next steps

Darebin Greens  

1. To date, what actions have you taken to support the saving of the Preston Market? Please list your actions.

Darebin Greens Mayors and Councillors have consistently supported saving Preston Market. 

Darebin Greens Mayors and Councillors’ actions include: 

  • Making protecting Preston Market Darebin Council’s top advocacy priority. In our current Council Plan, one of our top 10 actions includes: “protect all that we love about Darebin by pursuing protections for Preston Market”. The action around this was: “Protect Preston Market, including advocating Council’s position to the State Government during its planning consultation process, and working with our community to advocate for the strongest possible planning controls and protections”.

  • Practically, this meant the Protect Preston Market was possibly Darebin Council’s largest ever advocacy campaign with significant Council resources put behind it. Working with community members and groups such as Save the Preston Market, 16,425 people signed a petition to the Minister for Planning to protect the market. The campaign included billboards, advertising on buses, free signs for residents and businesses, comprehensive planning submissions, legal representation in hearings, dedicated staffing, an ongoing social media campaign and community events bringing people together to support the market, which Greens Mayors and Councillors attended and supported. Not a Green’s led action

  • Meeting often with traders to hear their concerns and stay informed on developments about the site. 

  • We have supported the Heart of Preston vision, which includes keeping the market’s heritage significance and mix of stalls; supporting traders to keep trading through any redevelopment, keeping the market accessible, affordable and multicultural; sustainability measures including at least 10% public open space on site and 6-star green star communities; and 20% affordable housing on site. Before current term of council

Darebin Greens candidates actions include: 

  • Shopping, eating at and visiting the market with friends and family!! 

  • Meeting with traders to discuss current situation and receive updates  

  • Conducting listening posts at the Preston Market to find out what customers think of the market now and what they want for its future.  

2. Public acquisition of Preston Market will ensure the improvement, greening & community management of Preston Market. Do you support the public acquisition of Preston Market? 

We are in support of the public acquisition of the Preston Market, and we call on the Victorian Government to make this happen.  

5 apparently a major policy position which is not reflected anywhere else on greens policy

3. The Victorian Planning Authority acknowledges that the planned Preston High Street Activity Centre will create up to 15,300 new dwellings & put more pressure on already lacking public open space in Preston. Do you agree that public acquisition of Preston Market is crucial to addressing this problem?

Yes, we agree. We know through Darebin Council’s open space strategy Breathing Space that central Preston already lacks open space. There are some parts of central Preston that do not have a park within 500m of home. State Government plans to have 6,000 more apartments in Central Preston as one of 10 activity centres will mean current and future residents will need a commensurate amount of new and enhanced open space. This is why the Heart of Preston calls for “at least 10% public open space on site” and “an additional financial contribution of up to 8.2% to enhance existing open space within the central Preston area.” 7

4. If you are elected, will you move a motion within the first 6 months to support & advocate for the public acquisition of the Preston Market?

Yes, happy to do this.