THE City of Swan remains open to discussion on the future of the Midland farmers’ markets as licensing and insurance issues have brought the markets to a halt.

The markets ran in the City of Swan and Landgate carpark before a Facebook post in June 2023 by Midland Farmers Market stated that “the markets will be closed until further notice due to a leasing issue with the shire.”

An update post in December by Midland Farmers Market then stated that the markets will be closed permanently due to being “a problem for the shire.”

City of Swan Mayor Tanya Richardson said that after the previous licensee who was authorised to run markets gave up the lease, two stallholders kept the markets going for a while.

“However, they were not incorporated or insured and did not have a license to operate the markets,” she said.

“This presented considerable risk for the stallholders.

“The city met with the stallholders last year to explain the situation and reiterated that the city wanted the markets to continue if possible.”

Ms Richardson said the city offered to help them to become incorporated, and proposed an auspicing arrangement and a temporary license while the process was worked through.

“The stallholders stopped running the markets while they considered their options,” she said.

“The city remains open to discussion about the future of the markets.”