By Chelsea Szabo
A Parking Management Framework was approved by Yarra Ranges Council at Tuesday’s meeting which promises to provide a clear decision-making structure for parking decisions in the Yarra Ranges.
According to the framework, parking areas across the region will see more restriction and infrastructure if they are surveyed by the council to have 85 per cent of parking spaces occupied at peak times.
Conversely, the council will consider easing parking restrictions in an area if 15 per cent of spaces are occupied at these times.
Once this need for change is established, the area will be investigated by the council’s Traffic and Transport Team and a plan will be reviewed by stakeholders, tweaked and implemented.
Deputy mayor Richard Higgins said with the 19,000 tourists expected to come through the area in the next 10 years, the region needs this framework.
“I would love to be sitting here and saying we didn’t need this, I really would councillors, but the reality is we have a lot of people coming to our shire or council area…we’re getting influx of tourists”.
The deputy mayor also said the council will continue to work with local businesses and “make sure everything is right”.
“It’s not about making money, it’s about getting it right so that there’s parking for everyone,” he said.
The type of parking used in different areas will depend on a hierarchy of parking management controls which begins with unrestricted parking, and progresses up to the highest level, paid parking.
According to the framework, “all parking areas will start as unrestricted and appropriate restrictions will only be added if necessary to provide overall benefit to the community and visitors”.
A draft of the framework was released for community input from 14 August last year till 8 September, and several updates have been made to the framework based on the 108 community feedback submissions.
Mooroolbark, followed by Lilydale received the most respondents, with one submission highlighting the lack of unrestricted parking in Lilydale and the safety issues it creates.
“Businesses operating in Lilydale have workers needing to constantly move their vehicles. Please take into account the safety of staff and workers that are going to be required to park at a distance and getting back to their vehicles alone at night. The crime rate is extremely high and this needs to be a factor,” they said.
The Parking Management Framework addresses trader and resident parking permits and states the plan created by the Traffic and Transport Team for specific areas “could include the need for resident or trader parking permits if it is considered appropriate”.
“Trader permits would only be considered appropriate where there is a high proportion of properties which have no possibility for on-site parking to be constructed or utilised and a dedicated area is provided within Council managed land,” it states.
Warburton is set to be the first town in the Yarra Ranges to test the highest tier of the Parking Management Control hierarchy, with many residents concerned about the impact paid parking will have on local business.
Starting 3 May, four different areas in Warburton will have parking fees as part of the council’s Visitor Paid Parking Pilot Project, the highest charge sitting at $6 per hour for visitors parked outside Warburton Water World and one hour free then $6 per hour on Warburton Highway. Permits will be made available for Yarra Ranges residents from 17 March.
The parking framework states these paid parking fees will be “reviewed regularly” to ensure parking spaces are filled to around 85 per cent, with community members being notified.
“If occupancy is regularly above 85 per cent, fees will rise; if below, fees will drop.”
Community members will also be able to request changes to parking restrictions which will go through a process of verification, identifying causes and a decision on whether the change is necessary.
