By Goya Dmytryshchak
Hobsons Bay council has backflipped on plans to introduce two-hour parking restrictions around Newport train station after resident and commuter complaints.
Councillors last December endorsed a six- month trial of two-hour parking restrictions between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, for a number of streets in the precinct.
The trial was in response to a petition signed by 68 residents who complained they had nowhere to park because of commuters parking in streets between 6am to 6pm and employees of local traders taking up spaces between 9am and 7pm.
Hobsons Bay mayor Jonathon Marsden said the trial had been “paused” following a community information session last Wednesday.
“There were a number of questions and concerns from residents at the community information session on the proposed parking changes,” he said.
“Following that session, it has been decided that the proposed changes should be paused in order to carry out more assessments, as well as a community survey.”
Altona North resident Clare Coleman, whose closest train station is Newport, said the parking restrictions were short-sighted when there were more residents than ever before in the surrounding area and several significant residential developments pending.
“Many of these residents don’t have a train station within walking distance and hence parking at train stations is a critical enabler to using public transport,” she said. “The bus services are too infrequent and the roads are busier than ever. Newport doesn’t need more two-hour parking. It needs more all-day parking.”
Newport resident Noel Landry said he was concerned about “recent massive infill development in the area” and council approval of thousands of new multi-storey residences along Blackshaws Road.
“Those people won’t walk to shops or work or school – they will drive,” he said. “The big decision was made to approve high-density projects and now the consultation and planning is about Band-aid fixes.”
