Vandals have caused thousands of dollars of damage in the third major attack on Yarraville’s parking meters in a fortnight.
A number of machines in Canterbury and Ballarat Streets were smashed overnight Wednesday in a dramatic repeat of a similar attack a week earlier.
Both attacks follow the filling with Liquid Nails construction adhesive of the coin and credit card slots of about a dozen of the machines on the eve of the machines coming into operation.
The vandals struck despite an increase in surveillance and patrols by police and Maribyrnong Council.
Senior Detective Brendan O’Mahoney, who is leading the investigation, said police were following up numerous lines of inquiry.
“It’s public property and expensive equipment. We will be following a number of leads,” he said. “We’re asking anyone with information to contact CrimeStoppers.”
Maribyrnong council chief executive Stephen Wall said council officers were yet to work out the exact cost of repairs, which will determine whether the cost is claimed under insurance.
Both the Yarraville Traders Association and the Yarraville Village Says No To Paid Parking group have condemned the vandalism, which came as traders argue that implementation of paid parking has led to a downturn in business and turned Yarraville into a “ghost town”.
Most traders who spoke with Star Weekly said the downturn had been immediately felt, but The Village Store owner Daniel Anderson said it was too soon to make a direct link.
“We don’t agree with the introduction of paid parking, but given all the roadworks we have been having, parking has already been a problem over recent weeks, so it’s too early to say what impact [paid parking] will have,” he said.
Paid parking opponents have organised a “Village wake”, to “commiserate the death of the village”.
It will be held in front of the Sun Theatre from 2pm on Saturday.
