By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Parking fees are set to return to Lonsdale Street, Dandenong.
A three-year trial of free parking to reinvigorate the shopping strip between Clow and Foster Streets was ended in a unanimous vote by Greater Dandenong councillors on 11 July.
Before the vote, several business owners told the Star Journal that free parking should remain.
Parking meters could drive shoppers into free parking areas such as Dandenong Plaza, an owner argued.
Another owner said the council should first ensure the public could safely park there after a spate of vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
According to a council report, free parking had “not had the expected beneficial outcomes and to the contrary now appears to be impeding retail activity in the strip”.
Traders were reporting that tenants, staff and owners used the spots as “convenient free parking” and it made it hard for customers to park nearby, the council stated.
“Free parking is in effect having an increasingly deleterious impact on the strip’s trading rather than resolving the opposite.”
Councillor Sean O’Reilly said the move would ensure customer parking was readily available.
Trader feedback showed that “when you make something free, it can be used and misused”.
“A token cost of a small parking fee will make it more likely to be use by actual shoppers rather than by traders.”
Councillor Rhonda Garad said traders would be consulted on the amount of the parking fees.
The council estimated it had lost up to $1.05 million in revenue as part of the three-year trial.
A further year would cost another $300,000 – $450,000, which could otherwise be used to maintain and upgrade the Dandenong Activity Centre, the council report argued.
