Springthorpe estate unites against La Trobe University students parking in streets

University students flooding to park in a street in Melbourne’s north are blocking emergency services and rubbish collections on a regular basis. But what’s being done to ease residents’ traffic woes?

Homeowners of the estate at Ernest Jones Dr, Macleod are complaining their streets have become overflow for students at La Trobe University. Picture: Stuart Milligan

Frustrated homeowners say rubbish is going uncollected and emergency services are being blocked from their streets, with university students flooding to park in the street.

The group at Springthorpe Estate, Macleod has called on Darebin Council and La Trobe University to create strict parking restrictions to stop their streets being clogged by cars.

Homeowner Gabriel Kuek, who has lived in the estate since 2005, first raised his concerns in 2016.

Since then he said the university had opened up more buildings but closed off parking spaces.

MORE NEWS

VIOLENT CRIME ON THE RISE IN DAREBIN

FRAUDSTER STEALS $430,000 FROM 30 PEOPLE

GIRL GUIDES’ DRONE PROGRAM TAKES OFF

“An ambulance was unable to get through the streets, rubbish trucks haven’t collected rubbish. It’s downright dangerous,” he said.

Mr Kuek said elderly neighbours struggled to get out of their driveways at peak times and crossing the roads was hazardous.

He said people also regularly park across driveways.

La Trobe University controls parking restrictions on its property and is not subject to the council.

University spokesman Tim Mitchell said they were aware of the concerns and did not condone staff or students parking in residential streets.

They would support any council restrictions, he said.

But the university did not answer questions on how they had tried to fix the issue.

Mr Kuek said their preferred solution was to make the area a two-hour zone and have permits available to residents.

Darebin Mayor Susan Rennie said the council had introduced no stopping zones on Ernest Jones Drive.

A car blocked a driveway and received an angry note from the homeowner. Picture: Stuart Milligan

Cr Rennie said the parking issues would also be considered as part of the Darebin-wide parking strategy review.

“This approach will ensure the appropriate parking controls are implemented in streets where they are needed most, and will prevent over spill of parking in adjacent residential streets,” she said.

But Mr Kuek said the area was unlike other suburbs and wouldn’t suit a council-wide policy.

“Springthorpe was devised as a concept and we are far away from public transport. Our problem is specific to the area,” he said.

Mr Kuek said the problem would be solved if La Trobe relaxed parking restrictions on campus and opened up empty land to parking.

“They can do it today if they open their boom gates and let people in,” he said.

@richardapearce