FEBRUARY 17, 2016 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + THE WEST’S BEST PROPERTY GUIDE
Parking waiver backed A report into paid parking in Yarraville village has found Maribrynong council introduced too many parking bays and set too high a fee for weekday parking. Transport policy specialists Phillip Boyle and Associates found parking in the village may have damaged weekday shopping but should have improved weekend trade due to higher vehicle turnover. On the agenda of last night’s Maribyrnong council meeting, the report recommends extending a waiver on parking fees in Yarraville and central Footscray until a new Maribyrnong-wide parking policy has been developed. A further waiver is likely to cost the council hundreds of thousands of dollars on top of the estimated $600,000 lost since December when the council suspended paid parking in both areas until February 29. The council last year spent $120,000 installing 17 parking meters covering 97 parking spaces in Yarraville. Anger at the meters boiled over at a fiery council meeting in November where two councillors were assaulted. Business operators in Yarraville claim the introduction of parking meters to the area in August cut into their bottom line by as much as 30 per cent. Data collected in February 2015 and last November – before and after paid parking was in force – shows businesses that only operate on weekdays are most exposed to a drop in trade while those operating Sundays may be better off.
It showed fewer vehicles visiting the centre of Yarraville during weekdays but an eight per cent overall increase across the week. There were 464 more cars visiting on Sundays when parking was free, and 166 fewer vehicles on Mondays to Thursdays, of which only Mondays were free. The report found Saturdays and Sundays were “a success”, with more car-based customers and less parking stress. But weekday controls were “too tight”.
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The Yarraville trial set the initial charge unnecessarily high
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- Phillip Boyle & Associates “It is likely the Yarraville trial set the initial charge unnecessarily high for Mondays to Thursdays,” the report notes. “The Yarraville Village paid parking trial changed the regime in too many bays and at times when occupancies were low.” The report highlights the need for a policy to deal with the growing number of cars in Maribyrnong, with numbers expected to rise by 14,000 to 49,000 by 2026. The report states rolling out a new policy in Footscray and Yarraville should be a priority, followed by new parking regimes at precincts including Seddon and Barkly Village, at Highpoint and also at the Footscray Hospital.
(Benjamin Millar)
By Benjamin Millar
In the heat of a night eclectic About 15,000 people turned out on the banks of the Maribyrnong River on Saturday to enjoy a day of musical fun in the sun at St Jerome’s Laneway Festival. Canadian electro-pop wunderkind Grimes (pictured) drew one of the most adoring crowds of the day, with audiences also treated to electrifying sets from the likes of Beach House, Battles, Chvrches and Purity Ring. For more pictures, visit www.starweekly.com.au Benjamin Millar
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