A group of Manor Lakes residents are being fined for parking on their own street after new restrictions were applied to their area.
Eureka Drive residents have been hit with fines since a two-hour parking limit was imposed between Academy Way and Field Street prior to the opening of the nearby Wyndham Vale train station in June.
Many residents have been furious to discover they cannot get residential parking permits.
The restrictions apply between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, and apply to the residents’ side of Eureka Drive. Parking bays on the other side of the street, which backs onto a park, do not have the same restrictions.
Melissa Lee and her partner were shocked to receive a $76 parking fine for parking their four-wheel drive outside the front of their property for longer than two hours.
Ms Lee said the couple, who also own two work vehicles, would sell the four-wheel drive and contest the fine.
“We didn’t receive any information regarding when the [signs] would come into effect and assumed we would receive notification of this,” she said.
Fellow residents Alex Leaver and Melanie Smiley branded the situation ridiculous. Ms Smiley said her husband, who drove a four-wheel drive that doesn’t fit in the garage or driveway, was struggling to find free space across the road due to earlybird commuters.
“He’s a shift worker so if he does park in front of the house he’s not in a position to wake up every two hours to move his car.
“I don’t mind the two-hour time restriction, but give us a permit. We’re paying rates – why can’t we park at the front of our house?” she said. Mr Leaver added: “We’re retired, but once a week my wife has a group of friends come over and do some quilting, and they’re here for three of four hours.”
Wyndham council chief executive Kelly Grigsby said residents were notified about the parking changes in writing five weeks before the new time limit came into effect.
Ms Grigsby said the council had similar restrictions in streets close to the Werribee and Hoppers Crossing train stations, and was undertaking a parking survey to test feedback.
