Hume Council fines people for parking on nature strip, who say they have ‘nowhere else to park’

PEOPLE living in a narrow street in Melbourne’s north who have been fined for parking on the nature strip say they have no choice because parking legally could block the road.

Langbourne Court in Greenvale is so narrow that if cars parked legally on both sides the road would be blocked. Picture: Supplied

A COUNCIL crackdown on cars parked on nature-strips has fuelled the anger of Greenvale’s Con Tzaros, who lives in a street so narrow that drivers have “nowhere else to park”.

Last week Hume Council sent Mr Tzaros and his wife a $91 fine for parking their car on a nature strip in Langbourne Court.

Mr Tzaros said several other people in the street were also hit with a fine, which was “unfair” because living in such a thin street meant there was often no option but to park on nature strips.

“I know by law we’re not allowed, but where else can we park?” he said.

“If there are two cars parked on the street, then one person can only walk down the middle of the road — a car wouldn’t fit.”

Mr Tzaros said if two cars were parked completely on the road, emergency services vehicles such as fire trucks would not be able to drive through.

Cars parked on the nature strip in Langbourne Court, Greenvale. Picture: Supplied

Mr Tzaros said the council should install indented parking spaces on all nature strips in Langbourne Court.

On June 21, Hume Leader reported on angry residents in Nixon Court, Roxburgh Park, also being fined for parking on nature strips.

SAFETY WORRY OVER NATURE STRIP FINES

Hume Council’s director of corporate services Daryl Whitfort said council officers had inspected the street after receiving two complaints about parking in the area.

“A total of five infringements notices were issued on 11 May 2016, and six on 6 June 2016 following these complaints,” Mr Whitfort said.

“Parking on nature strips is illegal throughout Victoria, and council is obliged to enforce this state law.”

Mr Whitfort said when the Greenvale subdivision including Langbourne Court was developed, a developer constructed the roads to “the minimum requirements”.

He said the council did not have the authority to request changes to be made to the road width.

But he said at its next ordinary meeting on July 11, the council would consider a new policy on parking in narrow streets.

If adopted, the policy would allow parking restrictions to be installed along one side of congested roads.

“In areas of very high parking demand, council may construct partially-indented parking spaces and fully-indented parking bays,” Mr Whitfort said.

He said if the policy was adopted, the council would undertake a survey in Langbourne Court and other narrow roads to determine whether parking bays were needed.