Car parks miss out

By Shaun Inguanzo
SPRINGVALE will have to rely on a private shopping centre development for increased parking as the 2006-07 draft Greater Dandenong budget is this week placed on public display.
Despite heavy lobbying by Springvale Central Ward councillor Youhorn Chea over the past 12 months to increase the number of parking spaces in Springvale, there are no works planned in the budget to ease the pressure in Springvale’s trade district.
Cr Chea this week told Star that parking was still the number one priority for Springvale, and that a multilevel car park in Warwick Avenue was on the cards – but not for a while.
Greater Dandenong CEO Carl Wulff said the Warwick Avenue project was too far away to budget for this year.
“It will only come out when council finalises its determination on the city hall and office complexes,” he said.
Mr Wulff said a private shopping mall project in Buckingham Avenue was the only parking project expected to be started this coming financial year.
He said it could create about 500 car parking spaces.
The draft budget was this week voted by councillors to be placed on public exhibition and submissions will be welcomed until 8 June.
Budget highlights are a 6.5 per cent residential rate increase, a 10 per cent business rate increase and a $13.3 million major projects allocation.
The 6.5 per cent rate increase equates to an average rate hike of $37.50, with some residents expected to pay as high as $64.58 extra.
Hard waste collection will be given a $200,000 funding injection and be transformed into an at-call service which allows residents to phone for a contractor to pick up their hard rubbish at a personalised time.
Wages for council staff are set to increase by four per cent this year under a proposed enterprise bargaining agreement.