By Charlene Macaulay
A further 35 carparking spaces could be created at Wyndham council’s civic centre to help reduce the number of council staff parking on neighbouring streets and service roads.
The council is investigating plans to create a one-way circular road that would allow for 35 new spaces on one side of the access road.
The plans follow a petition from a group of medical practitioners located along the Princes Highway who called on the council to provide its employees with adequate parking so that they no longer need to park along the service road fronting the clinics.
A further 35 spaces could also be added to land at the rear of the SES building if the first proposal is found to be successful.
The council will also develop a long-term carparking management plan for the civic centre and will introduce parking restrictions along the Princes Highway service road after consulting the relevant landowners.
Councillor Mia Shaw said increasing staff numbers had resulted in a lack of on-site parking for civic centre staff.
“I believe this problem is of our own making and a quicker short-term solution needs to be found here,” she said.
“While council staff should not be held to a higher standard than any other resident of this city, staff should not be parking in the on-street parking spaces that have been paid for by individual businesses.
“The intent of those carparks are for people using the services of the businesses on the service road.”
Cr Shaw also said the council had put Werribee CBD businesses at a disadvantage by making them apply for business permits to use the Cherry Street carpark, while the West End carpark at the other end of Watton Street offered all-day parking without a permit.
