A Facebook group campaigning for an end to paid parking in Yarraville has been accused of inflaming a violent turn to the debate.
Maribyrnong councillors critical of the ‘Yarraville Village says no to paid parking’ page argue that a relentless and personalised campaign has created an atmosphere that fuelled the aggression that turned to violence at last week’s council meeting.
But page convener Megan Darling – expected to be a candidate at next October’s council election – rejected the accusations and said the council must shoulder the blame for the vitriol directed its way.
Cr Catherine Cumming was derided on Facebook this week for linking the page to the violence, while councillors Grant Miles, Nam Quach and Cameron McDonald have long been criticised for their role in introducing paid parking to Yarraville.
Cr Miles said the level of personal abuse on the page made it counterproductive.
“This sustained and prolonged campaign on the No Paid Parking in Yarraville site does not help the traders, I have no doubt about it,” he said.
“There’s a lot of disinformation out there. I do acknowledge that not everything about the paid parking implementation has been perfect.
“Parking meters do often have a short-term, small, negative effect, but I do think it’s been exaggerated.”
Cr Sarah Carter, who voted against the introduction of the meters and voted last week for their removal, said the page painted Yarraville in a poor light.
“It has been a sustained, negative campaign, a fear-mongering campaign from the beginning,” she said. “Constantly displaying images of the vandalism doesn’t contribute to the feeling that Yarraville is a place you would want to visit.”
Ms Darling argued that council’s ignoring the majority view of the community made the Facebook page the only platform where people felt heard.
“Council has made an unpopular decision and people took to a Facebook page to vent,” she said. “I think it has been very good at highlighting a lot of the other problems of this council. I think it has been incredibly healthy.”
Ms Darling, who has apologised for comparing the paid parking campaign with the Arab Spring uprising, said the group had no affiliation with those behind last week’s violence.
“People are attributing the blame to us, but to have councillors stand up and say we organised a mob is deeply insulting,” she said.
“Violence has never been on our platform.
“This one incident has derailed 15 months of negotiation and conversations.”
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