Market gardeners lose out on thousands
Thousands of dollars are down the drain for vegetable and fruit growers such as Tommy Young, who was told he could not sell his produce the evening before Sunday’s Wellington Harbourside Market.
Young, who lives in O¯ hau just south of Levin, got a call from Wellington City Council at 9.30pm on Saturday after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Auckland would move to alert level 3 while the rest of the country was shifted to alert level 2.
His truck was already loaded and ready for the early morning drive to Wellington when he was told that stallholders who ran food trucks could operate but fruit and vegetable sellers could not.
While some fruit could stay alive in the chiller for a week, leafy greens and high-value items such as mushrooms would not survive.
He estimated his loss at up to $7000 but he would scrape by thanks to the fact he also supplied to wholesale.
Other market gardeners, though, would take a big hit.
‘‘It is their livelihood, it is their bread and butter – they need the market to survive,’’ Young said.
If level 2 persisted, the council should consider a ballot system whereby some fruit and produce sellers could attend on different weeks, he said.
Eighteen food trucks operated along Wellington’s waterfront on Sunday, selling hot chips, sandwiches and other meals.
Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said that in August last year, in alert level 2, a modified market – just food trucks – was operated for a couple of weekends.
‘‘Last Saturday night with short notice, we defaulted to the protocols we operated in August last year. This has worked well and we have complied with Government guidance at all times.
‘‘Council officers are not comfortable allowing the full market to operate in
the available space, given social distancing protocols. So, unfortunately for the fruit and vege stall operators, we have made the call that we don’t have the available space at alert level 2 for everyone.’’
Council chief executive Barbara McKerrow said the trucks were spaced out over an area of about 3500 square metres, they were all cashless and all food truck operators were asked to discourage queues.
Council staff were on site to answer
questions and disperse groups that had more than 20 people. Live performances were cancelled.
McKerrow said that under the Government’s Covid-19 guidelines, farmers’ markets were permitted to operate at alert level 2.
Meanwhile, mayor Andy Foster who previously said the market’s operation ‘‘does not look right’’, later told city councillors not to speak publicly about keeping the capital’s waterfront market open.
Foster emailed councillors on Sunday night to tell them he had asked management for answers by Monday.
‘‘In the meantime it would be appreciated if you allow this to be done, and we avoid further public comment/social media comment at this point.’’
His office yesterday told The Dominion Post that, given Wellington was at level 2, Foster was working with councillors ‘‘to ensure officials were given in what was a fluid situation, appropriate time to present the facts’’.
Councillor Rebecca Matthews, who has the community engagement portfolio, was concerned Foster’s email was an attempt to silence councillors ahead of an independent review ordered by the mayor into governance issues at the council. So long as councillors were not sharing confidential information or making personal attacks, she thought it was important for councillors to communicate with the public.