A PARKING war has broken out between residents on Williamstown’s Rifle Range estate after Hobsons Bay council agreed to make one of the 17 cul-de-sacs residents-only parking.
O’Connell Mews resident Mark O’Brien said the six homeowners at Gray Court now had their own “beautiful citadel” in a suburb where parking was at a premium.
He parks in Gray Court to take a short cut to his home in nearby O’Connell Mews.
Mr O’Brien said he couldn’t park in his own street because his wife parked in the garage and there were only four on-street spaces, making it hard to find a spot.
“There’s only houses on one side of [Gray] Court so there’s quite enough space for everyone, but unfortunately some of the houses have three cars,” he said.
He said there was also a trailer and boat parked in Gray Court.
“I’ve been parking there for 17 years and they [the council] are about to set up residents-only parking signs, which will mean only those six houses are allowed to park their cars there,” Mr O’Brien said.
“It’s their own private road. You’re basically giving them access to a private road and private parking, so, of course, when you go to sell your property, prices will go up because everyone will be saying, ‘we’ve got a private road, no one else is allowed to park here’.
“You’ve basically got this beautiful citadel within an environment where there’s parking issues and what they are invariably doing is pushing the problem in to other areas.”
A Gray Court resident declined to comment, saying he preferred to leave the issue between Mr O’Brien and the council.
At last week’s council meeting, mayor Angela Altair told Mr O’Brien the proposed parking alterations had been “initiated by the residents after many complaints and discussion with council officers”.
Cr Altair said it would not set a precedent.
