Our market. Our future.
When thinking about the future of Sydney Markets, we need to develop a clear ambition and strategy that is owned and supported by everyone within the markets community.
To do this, we've commenced a process to build collaboration, connection and shared vision, which we are calling Sydney Markets 2.0. This page brings together a number of updates over the course of this process.
See and hear from our own market community about this wonderful place we all share, what it means to the people in it, and why it must keep moving forward.
We also have to stay viable for every grower and trader who depends on us.
Living up to that belief means being honest about what has to change: culturally, behaviourally and operationally. The way we operate hasn't changed much in 30 years, while the rest of the industry has modernised around us. We need to take control of our own future with better ways of working, better data, and a site that's fit for the next 50 years.
Sydney Markets has championed fresh produce in NSW for over 200 years. We're the place where growers, traders and buyers come together, setting prices, moving produce efficiently, and giving businesses and families across the state access to quality, fresh, seasonal fruit, vegetables and flowers. We're a crucial link between the people who grow fresh produce and the people who consume it. As Sydney grows, that role only becomes more important.
The market we operate today wasn't built for today's challenges. Operating costs keep climbing while price growth stays limited across a lot of categories. Regulation and compliance keep increasing. Buyer numbers are falling, and consumer behaviour is shifting. We've been losing ground to big supermarkets buying directly from farms, and our controls and governance have slipped.
Regardless of where this leads, we will continue our focus on near term challenges, and initiatives that we have already commenced. This includes addressing safety, waste management, site utilisation and operating efficiency and hours, amongst other things.
But there's a bigger project here: creating a fully modern market. A much safer market. A facility underpinned by better data and technology. Processes and systems that drive efficiency and lower costs, making us the first choice for growers. A market that creates value today and is adaptable for the future.
Hover or tap any point to find it on the plan.
We've spent a lot of time and energy working through how best to progress from here, and we believe the best path for Sydney Markets is to explore the option of a modern, purpose-built market, whether that be here at Flemington or elsewhere.
This is not a decision. It's part of a process to do the work and understand the viability of all the options. At the same time, we're still laser-focussed on near-term improvements and day-to-day operations.
Each update below is preserved as it was originally published.
Since May, we've continued to work through what a modern Sydney Markets could look like.
See our ambition for the Market of the Future →
In the last 9 months, we've engaged widely and consulted deeply. That engagement has led to real change around the market. It's also allowed us to establish a deep understanding of our role, our reason for being, and what's going to be important as we think about the future. We're incredibly proud of how far we've come in this process:
There is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create the next chapter for Sydney Markets, together.
To get there, we need to properly explore our options for the creation of a modern market of the future: redeveloping Flemington is one path; building a modern, purpose-built facility on a new site is the other. It's now time to decide where our future will unfold.
This is about future value for the market ecosystem and our shareholders, and it's possible now because of the value of our Flemington site to a government motivated by housing and jobs.
As we explore our options, there are two things we will not compromise on. First: a plan that allows us to build a new market for the future, one that is modern, fit-for-purpose, and set up to thrive for the next 50 years. Second: a financial outcome that is fair and benefits all shareholders.
Our goal is to bring something formal back to our shareholders within the next 12 months.
To be clear about what this means day to day: this is a process, not a decision, and any impact on trading is still years away given the lead times involved. In the meantime, we're staying laser-focused on near-term improvements and daily operations. See what's currently underway →
Over the next few months we'll be engaging with our shareholders and the broader market community to shape what comes next.
We've championed fresh produce in NSW for over 200 years. To champion it for the next 50 years and beyond, we need a modern market. And we have a chance to build it together.
Thank you for being a part of our story.
You'll have seen a number of initiatives underway and completed across the market, outlined in the interactive image below. These initiatives have been progressed through consultation with the markets community via workshops and 1:1 conversations aimed at digging into and finding solutions for the things that matter most day-to-day.
These are real changes, happening now, because you told us they mattered. It's a long list of initiatives that we'll continue to communicate in the weeks to come.
Hover or tap a project box to bring the detail into focus.
Hover or tap one of the coloured project boxes below to view the detail in a larger, easier-to-read format.
Alongside the operational work, we've been working hard to better define our role, our relevance and why we matter. In the fresh produce ecosystem, we're absolutely crucial. It's estimated we handle around a third of fresh produce supply in NSW, in addition to the significant volumes from other locations.
Beyond the numbers, we're a vital connection to fresh food, to the farm gate, and the experience of fresh produce. Specifically, we are the place where fresh produce trades in NSW with efficiency and dynamism.
Sydney Markets is the platform that:
If we're going to remain relevant and be successful for the next 50+ years, we need to evolve. Based on the work we have done, we've identified 6 key things we have to get right as we think about the future of the market:
In November 2025, we spoke with over 220 people across Flemington and Haymarket from all levels of the organisation about the future of Sydney Markets. We did this through 1-on-1 conversations, focus groups, workshops, and voicemail messages.
The energy and openness in those conversations was genuinely encouraging, and it's shaped everything we've done since. Thank you to everyone who took part. We heard everything from big, systemic issues to individual frustrations, and we're grateful to everyone who shared their time, stories, and honest perspectives.
Sydney Markets is at a crossroads. You told us the big picture is that it's critically important infrastructure that feeds NSW and wider Australia that is also facing significant challenges around staying relevant, being accessible, and bringing in the next generation.
The opportunity however is to create a roadmap for a vibrant marketplace of the future that serves everyone: growers, operators, retailers, food service, AND the public, while building the next generation of market participants.
Ultimately, your feedback could be defined by six themes that came up most consistently.
Consistent feedback was provided across 4 operational themes. They highlight areas that could inform short term changes and quick wins:
Have a question or comment about Sydney Markets 2.0? Send it through to the marketing team.