Extra parking at South Morang to continue, despite lease ending
It’s the question on every commuter’s lips — what is the plan once the lease expires for the widely-used temporary parking lot at South Morang station? But the State Government’s reply has sparked more questions than answers.
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Commuters will still be able to access South Morang station’s temporary carpark in the “foreseeable future”, according to the State Government’s transport agency.
But Public Transport Victoria (PTV) did not reveal what the long-term solution would be.
A PTV lease of the “extremely popular” parking lot, which is on Westfield-owned land opposite the station, was set to expire this month.
But Department of Transport spokeswoman Lauren Hilbert said there were currently no plans to change parking arrangements.
She said a permanent carpark had subsequently been built to service commuters.
But Whittlesea Cr Caz Monteleone said commuters needed long-term assurance that parking in the area would not reach “breaking point”.
“If this lease expires without any sort of plan to substitute the parking lot with another space, commuters can expect a parking crisis in this area,” he said.
“The demand for parking has never been greater — more people are moving to the area, new families, and they deserve to know what the long-term solution for parking here is.”
The temporary car park was leased “several years ago” to provide commuters with more parking spaces during the extension of the Mernda line.
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But Cr Monteleone said even three additional stations beyond South Morang had failed to soak up the commuter parking demand.
“It’s full every day and it’s full just as the peak hour rush starts,” he said.
“Some cars are even parking on the vacant grass outside the temporary parking lot.”
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Whittlesea Council’s director of city transport and presentation Helen Sui said the council was not responsible for parking allocation at train stations.
She said the temporary car park lease was a “private arrangement” between PTV and Westfield, and could not comment about any future parking plans.