This is a blog series where we share the community submissions sent to the Minister for Planning regarding the draft Preston Market Precinct Development Plan. We’re sharing these to give our communities voices a platform, and inspire others with stories about the market.
Submission 009:
My name is [redacted], I currently reside in Nillumbik, but was born in Preston, and spent the majority of my life in Darebin. I'm writing to register my opposition to the proposed Preston Market Development Plan. Not only is the time frame given for the community to respond to this draft plan totally inadequate, but the plan itself is a slap in the face of the communty who have been fighting hard to save what is considered to be the heart and soul of Preston. I have been shopping and socialising at Preston Market since the week of it's opening, back then as a child with my mother. My own children had their first babychino's there, and it's my hope that their children can do the same in the future. My family travels to Preston at least weekly for the specific purpose of visiting the market. This plan seeks to destroy the fabric of the market and will densify it to the point that it will be overshadowed and entombed, and will lose it's appeal as being a special place worth travelling to from outside of Darebin. Given that High St has been earmarked as an activity centre, potentially adding up to 15,300 apartments to the immediate area, why do more apartments need to built on what should be kept as community open space? In addition to this, why bring in retailers who will be in direct opposition with the market traders. This is a market! The only one of its type in this part of Melbourne! If retail is what you want, go to Northland! Preston Market needs to valued, maintained and respected for future generations, and the best way to do this would be to publically acquire it and take it from the hands of those that seek to destroy it as these plans clearly show.
