$550k boomgates to put end to free beachside parking at Glenelg’s big council-run carpark

MOTORISTS will soon have to pay to park at the only remaining free council-run carpark at Glenelg — if they stay more than an hour. The move’s got local traders worried.

Messenger Eastern Courier 20/03/07 66512 Boomgates at the Hoyts Cinema Car Park on George St, Norwood. Picture: LUKE HEMER

MOTORISTS will soon have to pay to park at the only remaining big free council-run carpark at Glenelg — if they stay more than an hour.

However, local traders are worried Holdfast Bay Council’s plans to charge for parking at the newly-expanded Partridge St carpark will hurt trade in the seaside suburb.

From late next month, only the first hour in the 350-space carpark will be free.

The second and third hours will cost $2, plus $4 for every hour after that, up to a maximum of $40.

Cinemagoers will receive the first four hours free, once the theatres open in March.

The Partridge St carpark has been expanded as part of the Taplin Group’s cinema complex.

The carpark, expanded as part of the Taplin Group’s $17 million cinema development, is the last free council-owned carpark in Glenelg.

Jetty Road Mainstreet Committee chairman Mark Faulkner said one hour at the Partridge St carpark was not long enough for people to enjoy themselves at the Bay.

The carpark is currently restricted to two-hour parking.

“Three hours is what we would like (for free),” Mr Faulkner said.

“We’d accept two hours but one is just ridiculous.”

He said Glenelg traders had to compete with the Harbour Town and Marion shopping centres, where parking was free.

“The council didn’t do any public consultation on this and that’s disappointing because they don’t know what the customers are looking for,” Mr Faulkner said.

Holdfast Bay contributed $2.5 million to the cost of expanding the carpark and will spend another $550,000 on boomgates and ticket machines, plus $46,000 to operate it until the end of June.

Judells womenswear shop manager Shay Conder said one hour was not enough for women to have their hair done, get a coffee and a browse at the Jetty Rd shops.

“It should be two hours, definitely,” Ms Conder said.

“We need to make people want to come here — once we lose a customer to Marion or Harbour Town it’s a long time for them to come back.”

Holdfast Bay general manager of city assets and services Steve Hodge said the charges were quite reasonable and would prevent people parking and then catching the tram to the city.

He said the fees would help recoup money the council had spent building the carpark.

Deputy mayor Mikki Bouchee favoured a longer free period and said the council could change the parking fee structure if it did not work well.