By Casey Neill
Dandenong residents are calling for parking permits to bypass bans, saying they’re fed up with fines.
But Greater Dandenong Council said the parking restrictions were instated in response to requests from residents.
Canberra Avenue’s Emily Carydias is leading a petition on the issue.
She told the Journal she couldn’t park in her own street between 11am and 3pm on weekdays.
“We cop a parking fine. We’re residents, we’re not just visitors,” she said.
Ms Carydias said the area was newly-developed and filled with townhouses.
She shares her home with two other adults, and five or six people live next door.
“They’ve copped about four fines,” she said.
“In Monash, they have parking permits for people living in the area.”
Ms Carydias said the issue also stretched to neighbouring Dalgety Street.
“It’s become more of a revenue-raising thing,” she said.
Greater Dandenong Council’s acting engineering services director Craig Cinquegrana said the council did not currently issue residential parking permits.
“Unlike inner-city suburbs, where property sizes are generally smaller, the vast majority of residential properties in Greater Dandenong have sufficient space to cater for private residential parking on-site,” he said.
“Council does not reserve on-street parking for exclusive use by local residents.
“Additionally, allowing residents to be exempt from the restrictions would defeat the purpose of why the restrictions were introduced.”
Mr Cinquegrana said residents had previously raised concerns with the council about parking demands in Canberra Avenue and surrounding streets.
“The majority of these concerns related to parking issues experienced during the midday prayer times at the Dalgety Street Mosque,” he said.
“Council responded to those concerns with ‘no parking’ restrictions which are currently in place along one side of Canberra Avenue between 11am and 2pm, Monday to Friday.”
He said ‘no stopping’ restrictions were introduced in March 2010 and the council modified the signs to ‘no parking’ in 2014.
“The decision to introduce the restrictions, and to modify them, was widely supported by the community following community consultation,” he said.
