Yarraville and Seddon traders fear customers will abandon their busy retail precincts if Maribyrnong council extends paid parking across the city from early next year.
The council last week supported a proposal to extend paid parking across Yarraville, Seddon and Footscray and review existing time limits in those areas.
Areas identified by the council as appropriate for paid parking in Yarraville include sections of Anderson, Ballarat and Canterbury streets and car parks on Canterbury and Simpson streets.
Paid parking is flagged for sections of Charles, Gamon and Victoria streets in Seddon, across Footscray’s Joseph Road precinct, and McNab Avenue, Nicholson and Albert streets and the Albert Street car park, also in Footscray.
Maribyrnong mayor Grant Miles said the move came in response to community and trader concerns and would increase the number of available parking spaces for residents and visitors.
“We need to take action to ensure the availability of parking spaces in areas that have high demand, and deal with ever-increasing congestion in our busy retail precincts,” Cr Miles said.
But Andrew Dannaoui, the proprietor of Yarraville’s The Village Store supermarket in Anderson Street, believes paid parking will devastate the village.
“As soon as paid parking is introduced, people will shop elsewhere,” he said.
“They’ll go to Spotswood, Williams- town or even down the road to Coles at the shopping centre. People are not going to walk and carry their groceries three blocks to their car. If customers are driven away, traders will eventually follow.
“It’s disappointing and, to me, it’s just another cash grab by the council.”
Graham Evans, the branch manager of Bendigo Bank’s Seddon Community Bank on Charles Street, agrees that paid parking will drive out customers and visitors.
“People will go straight to Highpoint,” he said. “I hate the idea and certainly don’t feel it’s the right move for Seddon.”
A report presented to the council on August 12 stated that without the expansion of paid parking throughout Maribyrnong, planned improvements across the city would be “severely compromised”.
“The expansion of pay parking into further areas of the city including Yarraville, Seddon and parts of Footscray is considered necessary to meet ongoing improvements to town centre amenity and infrastructure, while contributing to vehicle turnover and economic vitality,” the report stated.
The council will hold community information sessions at Yarraville’s Sun Theatre on September 2 and the Maribyrnong Town Hall on September 3. Written submissions will be accepted until September 23. You can also email payparking@maribyrnong.vic.gov.au or fill out an online survey at www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au
