The markets held at Black Beach and Coronation Park are the first ones to be put out for expressions of interest (EOI), under its new uniform policy for granting licences for this purpose on public land.

All three current operators are confirmed they would like to continue with their markets and will be seeking clarification from Council on aspects of the EOI, despite being involved in the formation of the policy. The EOI is open to parties not currently operating the markets.

Rather than working on its previous per stall charge, the EOI asks for interested parties to nominate a yearly fee.

For the market at Coronation Park, Surf Beach, a licencing opportunity exists for one operator to run a mid-week market up to 52 times a year. An independent valuation indicates a base rent of rent of $24,000 + gst pa.

“I’m surprised and shocked with those figures as it is so much more than we have been paying and at that cost model we couldn’t operate,” says Kiama Farmers’ Market Manager Tricia Ashelford, who was the only operator prepared to make a comment at this stage.

“It is a significantly smaller area than Black Beach, we can't attract weekend crowds and we have to provide our own electricity.

Tricia with celebrity chef Manu when he visited the Farmers' Market while on holiday

“We would have to become a revenue focused entity rather than focusing on covering our costs so we can help our stallholders. It has been a tough year for them with the rain, and we’ve done everything we can to keep them coming so they can get revenue in.

“I’m keen to talk to Council about the issues we face, including not being able to reschedule a market if the park isn’t usable.

“We would be faced with a double cost as we would also be paying for our wet weather venue at the Uniting Church.”

Back in May, Council’s Director Engineering and Works Mike Dowd said the Markets Policy was a significant improvement for market managers, stallholders and the wider community.

“Previously we had a complex process of market operators requiring a development application to operate as well as a licence and renewals every period. There was also a levy for each stall at individual markets.

“Market managers now will follow an expression of interest process for a market licence with a simplified fee structure in place to occupy public land.”

Under the new policy, Black Beach - currently hosting the Chamber’s Kiama Seaside Market monthly on Sundays and Hiviz Events’ Kiama Makers & Growers Market on Saturdays - is available on the weekends for up to 30 markets a year, with an additional two special events markets possible in the afternoon/evening.

Interested parties may apply to operate all 32 markets, or 16 as has happened for some years with different operators on the Saturday and Sundays.

Depending on the bids, Council may have one or two managers operating the markets, split evenly if the latter.

An independent valuation has indicated a total base rental of $28,000pa + gst for the 32 markets.

The new annual rate, which is to be paid monthly, appears to put more risk on the market operators if stall holder numbers are low and offer cream when the numbers are high, as all three current ones deal with a wide number of stalls attending markets throughout the year.

Apart from the nominated rent, evaluation criteria will include experience, a market management plan and ‘Detail how your proposed market offers a point of difference that benefits the community socially, economically and culturally in a way that is unique in its competitive difference to the local economy’.

Operators will no longer have to lodge a DA, with the operational guidelines contained in the policy and licence.

As Plans of Management have yet to be prepared for these Crown Reserves as part of a new requirement, these licences will be for an initial one year period.

Further info available here, and the EOI closes Wednesday 23 November.

Disclaimer: the author is a former member of the Kiama Farmers' Market committee and a member of the Kiama & District Business Chamber.