Community & Business
7 June, 2024
Markets back at 100 Park
MORE than 200 stallholders have put their hand up to be a part of the new Mareeba Markets which will kick off again this Saturday at the original site at Centenary Park.
Last week, stallholders were celebrating when they heard the markets would return to 100 Park after the previous organisers, St Thomas’s Parish School, moved the monthly events to the Mareeba Turf Club on the grounds of “traffic management”.
The move to the racecourse did not prove to be successful, with many stallholders leaving the markets and others claiming they had lost up to 60% of their revenue as patron numbers dwindled.
The Lions Club took over as organisers last month after the school decided to cease operating the markets altogether.
Lions member Tom Braes said two interchangeable speed limit signs had now been installed near the park that will change from 60km/h to 40km/h on market days.
In addition, a qualified traffic controller is required to change the speed limit signs which is required to add an extra layer of safety for patrons and stallholders.
“We have made a lot of progress and everything we have left to sort out, we have potential solutions for them,” Mr Braes said.
“Every problem we have had, we have been able to solve it and there is a lot of goodwill around and people have been incredibly supportive.
“No one wants to see the markets fail and to have the markets back by 8 June has made us extremely happy.
“I am pleased to say we have had nothing but cooperation and support from Mareeba Shire Council, Queensland Police Service, Department of Main Roads and Transport, Mareeba Heritage Centre, Arts Society, Historical Society, and St Thomas’s P & F.”
For stallholder D’urville Pelgrave, having the markets back at the 100 Park will greatly benefit her business RD Creations, which saw a profit loss when they moved to the racecourse.
“It’s wonderful to know that a great community organisation has taken on this very large and hard task, and I am looking forward to the first market,” she said.
The markets will kick off from 7am at Mareeba Centenary Park this Saturday 8 June. For more details and updates, visit the Lions Club of Mareeba Facebook page.
