The South Melbourne Market NEXT Project

South Melbourne Market is a significant hub and retail destination for our local community, and is an important attraction for Victorian, interstate and international visitors. A plan is currently being developed to futureproof our thriving village market - the South Melbourne Market NEXT Project.

The Market is built on Crown Land and is owned and operated by the City of Port Phillip. It is one of the Council's prime infrastructure assets, however is 154 years old and faced with significant long-term challenges including compliance with updated building regulations, capacity limitations and traffic / pedestrian congestion.

It is imperative that the Market remains for many years to come a safe and accessible venue for everyone to enjoy, as well as being a prosperous environment for trade. The NEXT Project will identify the safety and compliance changes and upgrades required while also ensuring the Market remains relevant to all its stakeholders.

The NEXT Project is currently in the preliminary stage, with designs being developed that address the best use of the Market footprint to achieve the desired outcomes which include reviewing current structural issues, integration with surrounding roads, footpaths and car parking, and assessing safety and amenity requirements.

Stakeholder feedback will be imperative to the project, and designs will undergo a thorough community consultation period. The Market will be sharing updates on the process with our community via our website and other communication channels over the coming months and will be encouraging our community and Market stakeholders to share their views.

The future-proofing and expansion of South Melbourne Market forms part of the City of Port Phillip's Federal Advocacy Priorities for 2022/23, which sets out the Council's key projects, policy changes and funding requests for consideration as part of the Federal Election. As the Next Project delivers on many of the Victorian and Australian Government strategies and targets, including COVID-19 community recovery, Council are requesting to partner with the Victorian and/or Australian Governments to co-fund a renewed and reinvigorated South Melbourne Market to ensure it can continue to thrive in the local community.