THE State Government has dismissed a plan by fruit and vegetable growers to buy a privatised Melbourne market instead of moving to Epping.

A group of market users have proposed buying the market’s current Footscray site and modelling its operations on the Sydney and Brisbane markets, which are privately owned.

Department of Primary Industries spokesperson Jeremi Moule rejected the idea, saying the growers were simply attempting to gain leverage ahead of lease negotiations.

“It is not surprising that as the market relocation project moves into a phase of commercial discussions that the market users would attempt to position themselves ahead of those discussions,” he said. “However, during the past 18 months market user groups have repeatedly indicated that if the market has to move then they want to move to Epping.”

Nonetheless, an alliance of growers, wholesalers and retailers has appointed corporate adviser Jeffrey Thomas to look into a privatised market.

“They’ve determined they would like to stay at Footscray Rd and we will explore that prospect,” Mr Thomas said. “They would prefer a model where they operate their own market as is the case in some of the interstate operations.”

Mr Thomas said users had never said they wanted to go to Epping but rather they would move only if there were no other option. He said the government had not properly consulted the market community.

“All there has been is a lot of spin and hot air,” Mr Thomas said.

Mr Moule said the existing site was not appropriate.

“The Footscray Rd site is too small to meet the future economic needs of the horticultural industry and Victorians,” he said. “The markets will relocate to Epping in 2010.”