Williamstown traders have made a budget submission opposing a 10 per cent rise in Nelson Place parking fees, saying the dearest hourly rates in the west have already turned their shopping strip into a “ghost town”.
Hobsons Bay council is proposing to increase fees from $3 to $3.30 per hour in its 2014-15 budget.
In 2012-2013, the council made $884,000 from Nelson Place parking meters and 1506 fines.
Traders say nine businesses in Nelson Place have closed since January.
Atomic Bar owner Marty Grech said traders were at a disadvantage because Nelson Place was the only street in Hobsons Bay with parking meters.
“The parking down here in Nelson Place has killed us,” he said.
“The fact that it’s all day until 10pm – I think most other suburbs finish off at 6.30pm – and the fact that it’s $3 per hour is absolutely ridiculous.
“The street’s just getting drained and drained and drained. They claim that they’re in line with other councils; I don’t know where.
“South Melbourne is around $1.40, $1.60 an hour until 6.30pm and Sunday is free.
“Footscray is a little bit more than that ($1.70-$2.20 per hour).
“I want to push that the hours are dropped at least until 6.30pm.
“It’s a ghost town down here and everyone’s suffering. This is meant to be the so-called tourist precinct for Williamstown … without us, what are people coming here for?”
Santorini Restaurant owner Stav Mastro said that by increasing parking fees again, the council was stopping people from visiting.
“We shouldn’t have to wait until January for the good weather in order to get people,” she said. “People should be there all year round. The whole of Nelson Place is dead as it is.
“It’s a big tourist attraction of Williamstown and it’s just a ghost town. It’s dying.”
“It was bad enough that they put the parking meters in in the first place … increasing them is ridiculous.”
Mayor Sandra Wilson said it was the first time parking fees in the Williamstown area had increased in three years.
“This is the first time parking fees in the Williamstown area have increased since 2011 and the 30-cent increase is in line with CPI,” she said. “Free parking permits are available to residents of Hobsons Bay.”
Strand ward councillor Paul Morgan said he would oppose the parking fee hike and vote against the budget.
He suggested parking fees be dropped in winter.
Fellow ward councillors Angela Altair and Peter Hemphill did not respond by deadline when asked if they supported the fee increase.
The date for the council’s adoption of the budget has been extended from June 24 to July 8.
