Wyndham council is cashing in on the city’s motorists by raking in more than $610,000 from parking fines so far this year.
Between January and October, the council’s parking officers handed out 6346 fines – an increase of about 30 per cent on the same period in 2013 – and the council is owed $316,220 in unpaid fines.
Most offences were a result of vehicles being parked in spaces longer than the designated time limit or for stopping in a no-stopping zone.
The council was unable to disclose which car parks were fining hotspots.
Train commuters are also being stung, with more than 600 parking fines issued at Werribee and Hoppers Crossing stations in 2014.
The Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure issued the fines for offences including not parking completely within a bay, stopping in a no-stopping area, parking in a disabled car space without a permit and stopping on a footpath.
Revenue from fines at train station car parks goes to the state government.
The council has long-term plans to transform the car park on the corner of Duncans Road and Synnot Street into a multi-storey precinct featuring retail, offices, apartments and extra parking.
Last year the council set aside $180,000 to seek expressions of interest for the development, which will be known as the Gateway project.
But many traders and residents are calling for a more immediate fix to ease central Werribee parking woes. Earlier this year, a group of
35 Watton Street landowners joined forces to urge the council to act “sooner rather than later” by building a multi-storey car park in Comben Drive.
The council has recently added 12 spaces on Comben Drive and 30 all-day spaces on Pyke Street.
Werribee Chamber of Commerce president Tonia Tribe said the area’s parking shortage was hurting traders.
“There just isn’t enough [car parking],” she said.
“You wonder if people avoid coming into Werribee because they know it’s difficult to find a car park, and that’s unfortunate.
“A multi-storey car park will make life easier for everybody, but I would also like to see the one-hour limits along Watton Street extended to two hours.
“I don’t think one hour is long enough to allow people to do their shopping and maybe have some lunch.”
Wyndham’s chief executive, Kerry Thompson, said the council would continue to lobby the Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure to create more car-park spaces for commuters at both Werribee and Hoppers Crossing stations.
