Privately financed multi-storey carparks could be built at Williams Landing, Tarneit and Werribee train stations under a new plan being considered by Wyndham council.
The council’s city transport department has engaged consultants to develop a business case to seek funding from a private financier-backed consortium to build a multi-storey, multi-use carpark at the Williams Landing train station to address parking issues in and around the station.
Council officers are also considering the possibility of privately funded multi-storey carparks at Tarneit and Werribee train stations.
The council has also lobbied the state government to fund this project, and in April wrote to state public transport minister Jacinta Allen.
The council’s actions have been detailed in a response to a petition signed by 194 people calling on the council to buy land around the Williams Landing Town Centre to develop a long-stay carpark; to introduce paid parking in the town centre; and to introduce permit parking in surrounding residential streets.
The petitioners raised concerns about the lack of parking at Williams Landing train station and the expected impact on parking once the Target headquarters was complete.
A council report has recommended the council continue with both its advocacy efforts and feasibility case into a privately-funded arrangement, but does not approve the proposal for paid or permit parking in Williams Landing.
A decision on the report has been deferred and will be voted on at an upcoming council meeting following a motion by councillor Heather Marcus.
“I believe that we need a lot more information to make sure that the decision, when it comes back to council, will be the right decision,” Cr Marcus said.
But councillor Josh Gilligan said the council should not shoulder responsibility for parking at train stations.
Posting on his councillor Facebook page at the weekend, Cr Gilligan said a private multi-storey carpark “should not replace the obligations of state [and] federal governments to build Wyndham’s rail network to deal with overcrowding at Victoria’s second busiest V/Line station”.
“Building a for-profit multi-storey parking at Tarneit station could see commuters pay up to $20 a day for parking and must be a last resort,” Cr Gilligan wrote.
“That’s why I will be calling for a feasibility study to develop a park and ride service on land reserved for Davis Road station to get commuters to and from work safer and quicker.”
Meanwhile, federal opposition leader Bill Shorten has vowed to establish a $300 million fund for new or expanded carparks at busy train stations if Labor wins the next federal election.
