Western Metropolitan Market Trust

Full description

Establishment

The Western Metropolitan Market Trust (W.M.M.T.) was established in 1938 under the Western Metropolitan Market Act 1938 (No.4623) enacted on 22 December 1938. The Trustees reported directly to the Minister, while the market was managed by a Secretary who employed the market supervisors.

The municipalities listed below designated members to the Trust and agreed to assume financial and management responsibility for the establishment and operations of the new market. They agreed to operate as a cost-recovery service rather than a profit-making enterprise, and in the event of a financial shortfall, to meet the deficiencies in the following proportions:
Footscray 35%
Essendon 33%
Williamstown 15%
Braybrook 10%
Werribee 07%

The initial funding was sourced from a $60,000 debenture loan and a Victorian Government grant of $24,000, made under the Unemployment Relief Act 1936.

Abolition

In June 1985 the Governor-in-Council referred 17 statutory agricultural bodies including the W.M.M.T. to the Public Bodies Review Committee (P.B.R.C.) for review. Researchers should refer to the Public Bodies Review Committee (P.B.R.C.) Report on the Western Metropolitan Market Trust, February 1990 for additional information.

The P.B.R.C. Report concluded that the W.M.M.T. had outlived its statutory usefulness; that it never achieved the goals for which it was originally established; that the bulk of its income was generated from sources not envisaged by the original legislators; that the trading position as a livestock marketing organisation was poor and the utilisation of its assets was inefficient. The Review Committee recommended:

1. that the W.M.M.T. cease to exist;

2. that the future of the Western Metropolitan Pig and Calf Market be decided by the "contributing Councils" or their successors;

3. that the assets of the W.M.M.T. should be considered the property of the "contributing Councils" and vested in each municipality in proportion to their individual risk exposures.

Under section 4P(4) of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1968 the municipal councils were required to decide the future of the Brooklyn Market within one year of tabling of the P.B.R.C. Report.

According to the Budget Strategy and Review 1991-92, Budget Paper No.2, the State government agreed to the closure of the market, but did not accept the recommendation of P.B.R.C. to the distribution of the assets amongst the municipalities. In February 1991 the Government informed the municipalities of its decision to wind up the Trust and indicated that only 50% of the Trust's assets would be distributed amongst the councils.

However shortly before the winding up, the Trustees authorised distribution of the outstanding cash funds amongst the municipalities. The above budget papers should be consulted concerning the Government's response. The remaining assets were disposed of as part of the Government's asset sales program.

Location of Records

The 1987 Freedom of Information Statement noted that the Trust maintained a filing system at Brooklyn which contained general correspondence (1938-1987), personnel records, sales records, statistical information and financial records.

The records in custody were moved to the Department of Agriculture II (VA 3014) from the Brooklyn Pig Market during 1992 and transferred to the Public Record Office in 1993. Given the contents and volume of the records in custody, some records would not seem to be extant, in particular the inward correspondence. Refer to the series registrations listed below for further details.