Westfield and Eastland lead mega malls’ shift to paid parking

WOULD you pay just to go shopping? Some major centres around Melbourne are already slugging shoppers, and more paid parking could be on the way.

N26dt425 Car park chaos at Westfield Doncaster

FOR decades suburban Melbourne has enjoyed free parking with shopping but is the fringe benefit under threat?

Major shopping centres increasingly see acres of parking bays in the suburbs as a liability that can be turned into a potential money spinner with consumers picking up the cost.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Would you pay to shop? Tell us below

Retailing giant Westfield has already introduced paid parking at Doncaster. Another eastern suburbs mega-mall, Eastland, it set to follow the lead when it introduces a similar system next year. The parking schemes at both centres are capped at $30 a day.

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Westfield has left the option of paid parking on the table for all of its other Melbourne shopping centres. Scentre Group owns and operates Westfield in Australia and New Zealand and its spokeswoman Georgia Branch said there were no immediate plans to make changes to parking at Airport West, Knox, Fountain Gate, Southland and Plenty Valley.

“We can’t rule out the introduction of managed and paid parking systems at any of our centres,” she said.

“It’s typically accompanied by things like a parking guidance system and general upgrade to the parking facilities to improve the overall experience for shoppers.”

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Southland, one of the centres where Westfield can’t rule out the introduction of paid parking.

Westfield Knox in Wantirna South, which is in line for a $450m upgrade, could be the next shopping centre to introduce a paid parking scheme. Ms Branch said at this stage the centre remained in “pre-development”. Scentre Group has previously said it had “not confirmed the development”.

“Redevelopments often provide opportunity to make changes to carparks in our centres to better meet the needs of our shoppers,” Ms Branch added.

Eastland shoppers will pay from February next year. Paid parking schemes typically don’t charge for the first three hours and offer an extra hour for cinema goers. Parking will be free after 6pm at Eastland. Doncaster and Eastland’s ticketless systems allow shoppers to pre-register their vehicle’s registration and provide a credit card number for automatic debiting.

Melbourne’s other major shopping centres operators remain coy about paid parking in the long term. Asked by Leader if the option could be ruled out, Vicinity Centres — which operates Chadstone, the Glen and Northland — said it had not plans.

“At present there are no changes planned for these centres,” spokesman Brandon Phillips said.

GPT Group, which operates Highpoint Shopping Centre, had a similar response.

“I can confirm that Highpoint has no plans to introduce paid parking at the centre,” spokeswoman Katya Abramzon said.

Chadstone says it has no plans to move to paid parking. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

TO CHARGE OR NOT TO CHARGE

WEST

Highpoint, Maribyrnong: Free parking, all day and time restricted

Westfield Airport West: Free parking, all day and 90-minuted restricted

NORTH

Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre: Free

Westfield Plenty Valley, Mill Park: Free

Northland, East Preston: Free

Northcote Plaza: Free, all day and restricted.

EAST

Westfield Knox, Wantirna South: Free, all day and time restricted

Westfield Doncaster: Paid with first three hours free

Eastland, Ringwood: Mix of paid four-hour parking and free parking, paid parking to come in February with first three hours free.

SOUTH

Frankston Bayside: Free timed on-street parking in some areas around the centre, but the centre car park itself is all paid — $1.10 first hour, $11 maximum, free on Sundays

Westfield Southland, Cheltenham: Free parking, all day and time restricted

SOUTHEAST

Chadstone: Free, all day and restricted to four hours

Westfield Fountain Gate: Free

Dandenong Plaza: Multideck parking on Level 1, 2, 3 is free for 5 hours, $6 all day parking on Level 4 and Level 5.