Councillors vote to keep Cecil Street open 
By Rhonda Clark

Council endorsed a plan on 15 May 2024 to upgrade facilities at the South Melbourne Market and to keep Cecil Street northbound traffic open.  
Cr Rhonda Clark successfully amended the motion to remove from the South Melbourne Market capital project plan a proposal to permanently close northbound traffic on Cecil Street and to extend outdoor dining following objections from residents and businesses. The motion was seconded by Cr Sirakoff.

Cr Marcus Pearl who is a member of the South Melbourne Market Committee supported the amendment to exclude the Cecil Street proposal from the capital works plan, said "the South Melbourne Market Committee manages the footprint of the market up to the footpath and anything outside that realm is the Council's responsibility. By supporting this report with this concept we are effectively endorsing something outside their remit. It is good governance to exclude the Cecil Street proposal which could be perceived as scope creep". 

Community feedback on the proposed partial closure of Cecil Street indicated that 40% of respondents objected to the closure while 30% were in favour and 30% were undecided. The survey was completed by 46 market traders (32% of traders), 34 local traders and 783 members of the public with majority being market customers.

The council’s traffic report indicated that the partial closure of Cecil Street would increase traffic to the already busy Ferrars and Clarendon Streets.

The Community was also asked for their feedback on the market’s trading hours and days, to understand the need and desire for increased and/or amended trading hours and days. At this stage Council decided not to change current Market trading hours and days.

The capital works plan includes the refurbishment of existing bathrooms and construction of additional toilets, improved pedestrian gradients, and smoke extraction fans and emergency access stairs from the rooftop car park to the car park on York Street.

Funding of $17.2m over 8 years was approved by Council through the 2023-24 Budget process to deliver this program of improvements alongside the existing compliance and capital upgrades.