Flower Market Circular – 11 October 2022

Edition 151 View this email in your browser
In this edition of the Flower Market Circular:

– Children in the Market Fun
– Industry Open Day Success
– Drug and Alcohol Testing Continues

Market News
Children in the Market

It was great to see so many children in the market for our school holiday event!

Children enjoyed seeing the market in action, and many got their faces painted with colourful designs. Kids could also participate in our market quiz and colouring competition to win 1 of 3, $50 gift vouchers. 
Well done to everyone who entered; we received lots of colourful creations and great quiz entries. 
Our winners are:
Market Quiz – Claude and Nette (combined entry), Mumford’s
Fruit colouring competition – Grace and Georgia (combined entry), Kelly Bros.  
Flower colouring competition – Ruby Siantis, FreshMax
Check out our winning colouring entries below!



Thank you to everyone for your vigilance and prioritising safety while we welcomed 43 children into the market over the two days.

We are already looking forward to the next Children in the Market event; keep an eye out for the dates later this year!



Melbourne Market Industry Open Day Success
The wet Melbourne weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the 68 people who attended our Industry Open Day!

The attendees were blown away by the size and scale of the market and the extensive and specialty ranges of produce and fresh-cut flowers available.

Thank you to everyone who offered their time, samples, and gifts. You all certainly made their morning!

A Q&A session after the personalised market tour saw several visitors signing up for an access card to the market. The Open Day positively impacted visitors and has created significant interest in attending the market.



Victoria’s single-use plastic ban
The Victorian Government’s single-use plastic ban regulations will come into effect from 1 February 2023, and affected businesses should start preparing for the new regulations.

The ban applies to single-use plastics made from conventional, degradable, and compostable plastics as well as expanded polystyrene for the following items: 

Drinking straws
Cutlery
Plates
Drink stirrers
Cotton buds
Coffee cups
Coffee lids

The ban does not apply to plastic and polystyrene packaging used for the transport and storage of fresh produce.

Affected businesses can prepare for the ban now by:

determining if you still need to provide single-use items and where use can be avoided or reduced
ordering stock of any alternative items you will need ahead of the ban starting, to avoid supply issues
running down stocks of banned items and not ordering more
sign up for Victorian Government updates here by clicking follow.

The Victorian Government will provide a dedicated information program prior to the ban to help businesses and organisations understand their obligations and prepare for them.
 
For further information, please go to www.vic.gov.au/plastics. If you still have additional questions, please contact SUP.policy@delwp.vic.gov.au.



If your parking permit only allows access on Tuesday, and you would like to come to the market on an alternative adjacent day, you will not be charged for parking; however, your regular parking bay may not be available, so please speak to a Market Relations Officer on arrival for parking instructions.

Drug and alcohol testing continues at the Melbourne Market 


The Melbourne Market is a drug and alcohol-free site, and we regularly conduct random drug and alcohol testing. 

Our drug and alcohol testing program has been in place for almost three years and remains part of our ongoing commitment to providing a safe work environment. 

Due to the random nature of the testing, some market users may have been tested multiple times over the past three years, while others may have yet to be tested. 

When market users follow instructions and receive a negative test result, the whole process from start to finish takes just 8 minutes to complete, having minimal impact on your morning. 

We will continue to conduct random testing on-site to ensure a safe work environment, so you should expect that you will be tested at some stage in the future.

When you are randomly selected for drug and alcohol testing, we ask that you cooperate and follow the instructions of the tester to make the process streamlined, quick and easy for all involved. 

Economic Participation Survey
The City of Whittlesea wants to hear from the people who work and live in the municipality to understand barriers to gaining employment and what training opportunities could assist in developing workforce skills that suit industry needs.

This information will help develop an Economic Participation Plan contributing to local jobs and study opportunities.

You can have your say by completing a brief online survey.

If you have any queries or want more information on the Economic Participation Plan, contact Simon Scrase, Economic Participation & Enterprise Officer, on 0417 017 424 or simon.scrase@whittlesea.vic.gov.au.

Industry News
Bees Use Patterns As Well As Colors To Find Flowers


Honeybees rely heavily on flower patterns – not just colours – when searching for food, new research shows.

A team led by the University of Exeter tested bee behaviour and built bee’s-eye-view simulations to work out how they see flowers. This could help bees quickly identify colour differences and navigate to flowers.

Click here to find out more.

Melbourne Market Job Board

Do you have a vacancy to fill in your business?
Email submissions@melbournemarket.com.au for the position to be placed on our online job board.
Looking for a new role? Check out the online job board via the button below. 
View full online job board

Victoria Whitelaw Beautiful Flowers – Senior Flower Stylists
South Yarra’s leading wedding, event and retail florist, Victoria Whitelaw Beautiful Flowers, is seeking experienced and enthusiastic senior flower stylists based at our flagship Toorak Road store. We have both casual and permanent positions available working in our high-end retail store and on corporate, wedding and event floral styling.

The ideal applicant will:

Be an experienced and creative flower stylist with a passion for flowers, an eye for detail, and who takes pride in their work.
Be motivated, enthusiastic and hardworking and not afraid to muck in with the team and get the job done.
Have excellent customer service skills.
Be available to work both weekdays and weekends as well as afterhours on occasion.
Be immaculately presented.

Please note, we are seeking flower stylists with a minimum of 2 years of employed floristry experience. Those who are not florists need not apply.
 
Please email your resume and cover letter to flowers@victoriawhitelaw.com.au

Ask the MMA
If you’ve got a question for the MMA email it to: submissions@melbournemarket.com.au.

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