Queen Victoria Market CEO Stan Liacos said selling knock-off Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander products isn’t just out-dated AF, it’s disrespectful and harmful to local First Nations businesses too.
“Many people would be surprised that this kind of thing is going on right across Australia in 2022,” he said.
“Selling inauthentic products isn’t just disrespectful to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and dishonest to customers, it also undercuts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and legitimate artists who are trading in authentic items and trying to make a living.
“We’re not waiting for new national laws to come into place — we’re acting now.”
Liacos said the ban was also part of the market’s effort to acknowledge the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation, who are the Traditional Owners of the land the Market occupies.
Queen Victoria Market plans to work closely with traders to phase out any knock-off products by 1 July 2023.
“We’ll be taking a collaborative approach,” Liacos continued.
“We know our traders aren’t knowingly doing the wrong thing and we’ll be supporting affected businesses to transition their product mix.”
According to Liacos, the knock-off ban is also part of wider effort to slowly improve the the type of merchandise sold at the Market, which is line with customer feedback. But the market wants to make sure that it does so in a way that helps traders become better, too.
“While we remain committed to ensuring there will always be a wide range of products available at the Market to suit all budgets, today’s announcement is part of a range of improvements to modernise the Market while protecting those things that make it much-loved by locals and visitors,” he said.
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