Westfield increases parking prices at West Lakes, full day costs $35
Would you pay $35 a day just to park at work? Shoppers and some retail staff at the West Lakes Shopping Centre are being forced to fork out even more to park – and they’ve had enough.
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Westfield has again increased parking prices at West Lakes, leaving customers further out of pocket and some retail staff paying $35 a day just to go to work.
Workers have instead taken to parking offsite – but have reported being followed, and finding their vehicles vandalised when they return from their shifts.
Under the price hike, the first three hours parking at West Lakes remain free, but motorists are then slugged $4 an hour for the next two hours.
Prices then increase by $10 every hour after five hours and are capped at $35 for motorists staying six and a half hours or longer.
However, Scentre Group – which operates Westfield shopping centres – rebutted the claims and said there are two designated parking areas.
“More than 300 car parking spaces dedicated for use by Westfield West Lakes retail workers are available all day and free of charge on the corner of Turner and Brebner Drive,” a spokesperson said.
In addition, Westfield offers $3 a day parking to shopping centre staff. However, there are only 200 subsidised spaces which are quickly taken.
The Advertiser understands some staff tailgate other cars out of the carpark before the boomgate drops in an effort to avoid paying the fee.
The cost of a full day’s parking was $22 four years ago.
There have been repeated increases since – the most recent, from $30 to $35, occurring in July.
One supermarket worker, who only wanted to be identified as Andrew, said he was forced to park on the street and his car had been broken into.
The nightshift worker moves it into the Westfield carpark after 6pm when parking is free.
“It’s bloody annoying, because when I go for my break I spend 10 or 15 minutes just moving my car,” Andrew said.
Another employee in the shopping centre, Jessica, said close offsite parking was often taken by the time she arrived at work.
She had to move her car in and out of the Westfield carpark every three hours to avoid the fee.
“Most of the time, staff move their cars in their break times, and that’s not what breaks are for,” Jessica said.
“We’re meant to be having a rest and a drink or whatever.”
She said on occasions when she had parked offsite and gone to retrieve her car after 6pm, she has felt unsafe walking in the dark.
“You’ve got to walk past Kmart Tyre and Auto and there’s trees and bushes and it’s a perfect place for someone to jump out at you,” she said.
“I know of other people who have had people approach them and want things.”
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Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association secretary Josh Peak said the cost was “extraordinary” for retail workers.
He believed Westfield should provide free parking for shopping centre staff.
“They don’t earn the kind of income that allows them to fork out such an enormous amount of their take-home pay,” Mr Peak said.
“It’s the safety of the parking (offsite), not to mention that it fills up quickly so most workers don’t have access anyway.
“Many workers are being forced to pay the full parking rate around the centre.”