Paid parking could be coming to Werribee as part of a Wyndham council strategy to improve car parking in the central business district.
Wyndham council has failed to rule out plans to introduce paid parking in the municipality, in particular, at the new mixed-use, high-rise complexes being planned for four council-owned ground-level carparks in Werribee’s CBD.
The council would not definitively answer whether or not paid parking was on the cards, despite being asked three times by Star Weekly.
Wyndham director of city economy Kate Roffey said the council would be undertaking a full review of parking in Werribee city centre as the developments progress.
“This review will consider many issues including parking demand and supply as well as a range of options that will ensure fair and equitable access to parking,” Ms Roffey said.
Star Weekly also contacted all 11 Wyndham councillors to ask their stance on paid parking.
Mayor Henry Barlow deferred to Ms Roffey’s response, and Cr Heather Marcus declined to comment on the issue, citing a conflict of interest as a Watton Street property owner.
Councillors Tony Hooper, Kim McAliney and Aaron An each said they would make a decision once the council’s parking strategy was complete and they were fully briefed on the issue. Cr Josh Gilligan said he was open to the idea of paid parking if it improved turnover.
“If it enables more people to get in and out of Werribee’s CBD, then I think it’s something we should look at,” Cr Gilligan said.
Cr Mia Shaw said while she currently did not support paid parking in Werribee’s city centre, she remained “open to considering evidence and views put to me in the future”.
“Once the catalyst sites start being developed we need to ensure the two sites council bought last term, the current Toyota site and the car park behind the Bridge Hotel, are ready for the purposes they were intended for: carparks to compensate for the ones that people will no longer be able to use,” she said.
Councillors Walter Villagonzalo, Peter Maynard, John Gibbons and Intaj Khan did not respond.
It’s not the first time paid parking for Werribee’s CBD has come up, in 2015 concept drawings for the Cherry Street carpark showed ticket machines.
The council eventually voted down paid parking at a meeting later that year “to maintain consistency with the management of the other off-street public carparks in the Werribee City Centre”.
Committee for Wyndham chief executive Barbara McLure said the organisation did not support the idea.
“While we encourage the redevelopment of the town centre to increase walkability and accessibility to traders, the introduction of paid parking may be counterproductive and deter potential customers,” Ms McLure said.
Wyndham Business and Tourism Association president Nick Christou said while free parking was the “preferred option”, he could not make a fully informed comment until the parking strategy was released.
