By Kath Gannaway
Yarra Junction Community Market is refusing to pay a licence fee to Yarra Ranges Council for the right to run the market in the car park adjacent to the football ground.
The licence, issued under the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978, is standard for groups operating venues on council-owned or managed land, but YJCM treasurer Adele Paisley said the market was a not-for-profit community enterprise run by volunteers with multiple benefits going back to the community and should not have to pay.
Ms Paisley said the council sent an invoice for $580.58 for two year’s leasing fees and that they have been told that if they don’t pay, they won’t be able to run the twice monthly markets.
She said they kept the site clean and tidy on market days but got nothing for the fee and had their own public liability.
“We’ve been operating the market here for well over 30 years, and in addition to providing something for visitors to stop here twice a month, we return every cent of the stall fees to local emergency service organisations,” Ms Paisley said.
The committee on Sunday handed out $12,000 to five local CFA brigades and the Upper Yarra SES, the proceeds of markets held over the past three years.
“It doesn’t add up that with just six community markets in the shire the council would make volunteer groups pay for a lease that provides nothing and returns just $1800 a year to the shire, when they hand out hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants with the other hand,” Ms Paisley said.
She also questions why a small market such as Yarra Junction would pay the same as the much bigger Healesville Community Market.
Yarra Ranges Council, however, says the licence is required under council’s Local Laws.
“Council’s General Provisions Local law prohibits markets on council-owned or managed land without authorisation, such as community licence agreements,” director of Environment and Engineering, Mark Varmalis told the Mail.
Mr Varmalis said the licences set out a licensee’s obligations for use of the site, including how and when the land could be used for what purposes, indemnities, insurance and maintenance obligations.
Mr Vermalis said the fees were set by council in the annual budget as per a Fees and Charges Schedule with all community markets, regardless of size paying the same, set fee.
O’Shannassy Ward Councillor Jim Child, said the majority of community markets paid the fee.
“This particular market has taken a stand to have a different opinion on it,” he said.
Cr Child said with Local Bylaws currently under review there was an opportunity for the market committee to make a submission arguing their case.
“I encourage them to make a submission,” he said.
“We have entered this process (local laws review) to consult with the community as far as bylaws go. If we are going to impose these bylaws and regulations, then our community should be part of the process of setting those bylaws.”
Yarra Ranges Council has confirmed that just six markets are required to pay the licence fee with other markets operating on private land.
