By Charlene Macaulay
Wyndham council will increase parking time limits for on-street car parking spaces, scrap business parking permits and introduce paid parking for long-term parkers under a new draft strategy.
Operating under a “customer comes first” mentality, the Werribee City Centre Parking Strategy proposes abolishing business parking permits in favour of paid parking within nominated “premium sites” for stays over three hours.
Under this plan, drivers can park for free for three hours, then are required to pay for parking at the Cherry Street, Gateway (corner Synnot Street and Duncans Road), West End (Watton Street), Riverbend Large (Comben Drive) and Wyndham Cultural Centre perimeter off-street carparks.
No fee schedule has been determined, but according to a council report the fee would only be “minimal”.
All on-street parking will remain free, including all-day parking on “city fringe” streets.
The draft strategy also proposes:
• Changing the time limit of on-street parking in Werribee’s CBD from one hour to two hours;
• Reducing Station Place parking from one hour to 30 minutes, introducing a drop-off zone and relocating the taxi rank to Comben Drive; and
• Implementing digital signage to direct drivers to parking spaces;
Wyndham council city economy, innovation and liveability acting director Peter McKinnon said the draft plan aimed to improve parking and access to Werribee’s city centre.
He said the draft strategy was written up in consultation with the Werribee Business and Traders Association and the Werribee Landowners Association and focused on discouraging traders and employees from parking on the street in front of their businesses to open up prime spots for customers.
“We’re looking for a system which is equal for both visitors and traders alike,” Mr McKinnon said.
Another key focus of the draft strategy is to ramp up parking enforcement, however, the council says there are no plans to employ more parking officers.
The council has been working on a draft car parking strategy for Werribee’s CBD since 2015. No timeline has been set for when the final strategy will go before the council, or when any proposals can expect to be implemented.
Werribee’s city centre is expected to include more public parking over the next five years, with 467 spaces through the council’s catalyst developments and 200 additional commuter spaces at Werribee train station as proposed by the state government.
There will also be 904 new private spaces for new businesses and residents.
The draft strategy will be out for public consultation until March 6.
Wyndham council will hold a community information session on February 23 between 11am-1pm at the Station Place pop-up park.
A survey is also online at www.theloop.wyndham.vic.gov.au/werribee-parking
