Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal

Demolishing heritage warehouses and shopfronts then constructing a four-level basement carpark, community centre, and affordable housing while refurbishing the historic Mercat Hotel created complex heritage-construction interface risks in Melbourne's most iconic public market.

The $90M project's cultural significance and ongoing market operations meant safety incidents could impact not just workers but market traders, visitors, and heritage assets.

Demolishing heritage structures adjacent to the operating Queen Victoria Market required sophisticated separation of demolition zones from public areas and careful heritage fabric protection during removal works. Four-level basement excavation in a heritage precinct meant managing shoring, groundwater, and potential archaeological discoveries.

Elliott Safety's site establishment audit ensured Hamilton Marino's safety systems were robust before demolition commenced, then 3-monthly HSE site audits tracked performance through demolition, excavation, construction, and heritage refurbishment stages.

Our systematic action closeout process ensured identified issues were resolved between quarterly audits, maintaining safety momentum across the 12-month timeline.

Services Delivered:

• Site establishment audit
• 3 Monthly HSE site audits including close out of actions

The Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal achieved successful completion of demolition, basement construction, and heritage refurbishment without incidents affecting market operations, heritage assets, or public safety.

Elliott Safety's quarterly audit approach and systematic action closeout gave Hamilton Marino the oversight framework needed to manage complex heritage-construction interfaces across Stage 1, protecting workers, market traders, and Melbourne's most significant public market throughout the precinct's transformation.