THE Marong Market announced it will be closing permanently last week with organisers saying circumstances have made it difficult to keep operating.<\/p>\n
COVID-19 requirements made it hard for stall holders at the market to operate and keep the community safe.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s been challenging for small business operators,\u201d said Suzi Birthisel said, Marong Market organiser.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe vaccination requirements, citing other people\u2019s certificates and checking in has been causing angst for the stall holders.<\/p>\n
Another challenge the market faced was its location. Situated on a corner block with no fencing, it was difficult to be certain attendees were following State Government rules.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople could enter the market anywhere, so it was very hard to ensure that people were checking in,\u201d Ms Birthisel said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no specific entry into the market unlike say for example the Showgrounds Market where people go through a gate, and you can check their vaccination status.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was another challenge for us as market operators to make sure we were complying with the requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stall holder concern for the community\u2019s wellbeing also played a part in the market closing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe stall holders are mostly local people and are very committed to the community and felt strong ownership of the market,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were also concerned about the community. They didn\u2019t want to be a part of a super spreader type event when the pandemic was at its height.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there was a fair degree of trepidation from the stall holders around participating in the market.\u201d<\/p>\n
Running monthly since 2018, the Marong Market has been a staple in the area.<\/p>\n
Ms Birthisel said the reaction from the community was one of disappointment but said they were understanding of why the call was made.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure people would\u2019ve loved the market to continue but equally understood that it\u2019s a pretty difficult site to maintain with the requirements we have,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE Marong Market announced it will be closing permanently last week with organisers saying circumstances have made it difficult to keep operating. COVID-19 requirements made it hard for stall holders at the market to operate and keep the community safe. \u201cThat\u2019s been challenging for small business operators,\u201d said Suzi Birthisel said, Marong Market organiser. \u201cThe […]<\/p>\n