Pacific Epping to reduce underground parking time limit from four to two hours

AN Epping shopping centre has confirmed some of its parking time limits will be reduced from next month, but a signage mistake has left shoppers fuming.

Nola Burkett and Elaine Ebert are outraged that Epping Plaza will reduce its underground parking time limit from four to two hours. Picture: David Smith

UNDERGROUND parking at Pacific Epping will be reduced to two hours from next month, with the centre accused by shoppers of trying to covertly roll out the changes.

Many were shocked to see the two-hour limit signs appear without notice in the undercover carpark at the hospital end of the centre last week.

Paid and free parking: Where to shop without the cost

Southland shoppers, workers protest over new parking fees

On social media, shoppers accused the centre’s management of covertly slicing parking from four hours to two.

Pacific Epping spokesman Kelvin Campbell confirmed the parking changes would come into effect from February 5.

Outdoor carparks would remain at four hours, he said.

But Mr Campbell said the signs had been put up mistakenly ahead of schedule and had since been removed to avoid confusion.

Mr Campbell said the parking changes were being introduced to “suit demand”.

The new signs caught regular users of the centre offguard, including grandmother and pensioner Nola Burkett.

Mrs Burkett, who has visited the centre for years to shop, chat with friends and catch movies at Readings Cinema, said two hours was not enough time for her to enjoy all the centre had to offer.

She said Pacific Epping was being greedy by cutting the hours, and the outdoor parking was “quite inconvenient”.

“I’m getting on a bit now so I find it hard to return to a hot car during summer or face the cold and rain in winter,” she said.

”It’s disappointing because I don’t think the centre would’ve considered that.”

Mr Campbell the centre recently added 515 spaces, bringing the total to more than 4000.

He said the centre would inform the public of the parking changes over the next week.

Whittlesea Council will continue to patrol and manage the Pacific Epping carparks and associated restrictions.