Greater Dandenong Council may seek to reintroduce paid street parking in central Springvale, nearly a decade after removing parking meters due to a public outcry.
A council report recommends the roll-out along with further parts of Dandenong in order to “improve parking experience”, including an increased turnover of vehicles in busy areas.
The locations are Springvale Activity Centre, parts of Cleeland and Stuart streets and Stuart Street East car park near Dandenong Market, and David Street near Dandenong Hospital.
Also, the Princes Highway service lane between Foster and Webster streets will be added when Webster Street level crossing removal works conclude.
In 2017, after an outcry from traders and residents, a trial of parking meters in Springvale Activity Centre ended with the meters pulled out at a cost of $300,000.
Springvale Asian Business Association president Daniel Cheng said the 12-month trial was a failure, despite the council’s assertion at the time of a 7 per cent increase in visitors.
“It was a huge decrase. People would go instead to Clayton and Glen Waverley – so we lost a lot of business. Traders were screaming about it for the whole year.”
Cheng said the high parking congestion was caused by a shortage of spaces, not turnover.
New multi-deck car parks in Warwick Avenue or Queens Avenue would be a more effective solution, he argues.
The upcoming council report states Springvale CBD’s “extremely high” parking detracts potential visitors.
Introducing paid parking would encourage turnover, unclog parking spaces, and increase visitors and customers, the report argues.
An estimated $1 million revenue could be invested in the council’s Springvale Revitalisation Plan.
The report also notes the “high” parking charges at Dandenong Hospital car park was pushing more parking onto surrounding streets.
David Street, between Cleeland and Stud roads, was busy for long periods as a result.
Disabled parking spots near the hospital would not be charged.
Often, the community favoured “large volumes of available free parking” but “without meaningful input” on how it creates a “positive parking experience”, the report stated.
The report recommended no increase in parking fees.
“These schemes improve parking through increasing turnover, improving parking availability and making it easier and more convenient for customers to visit,” it states.
“Paid parking schemes are rarely utilised as primarily a source of revenue.”
The paid-parking rollout comes on top of the introduction of new parking meters, including digital payment options, in Dandenong from late this year.
Councillors were set to vote on the report on 27 October.
