Wantirna South cafe Code 9 struggling as customers avoid Westfield Knox paid parking

A Wantirna South cafe owner says her business is struggling to survive as shoppers dodging paid parking at Westfield Knox take up spaces meant for her customers.

Brooke Carroll and Kelly Parker from Code 9 Cafe Wantirna South. The cafe is struggling to survive after people trying to avoid paid parking at Westfield Knox take up all their parking spots.

A Wantirna South cafe owner says her business is at “breaking point” as shoppers and workers dodging paid parking at Westfield Knox take up all the car spaces meant for her customers.

Kelly Parker, owner of Code 9 cafe in the Burwood Highway strip opposite Westfield Knox, said since paid parking was introduced at Westfield on June 8, she had lost almost 30 per cent of her sales each day.

Ms Parker said the car spaces in front of her cafe were now regularly taken up each day by people visiting Westfield Knox, with Knox Council handing out more than two dozen fines to drivers who overstayed the four hour limit.

She said on average, before paid parking, her takings were about $1600 a day – that dropped to $800 a day as soon as paid parking came in.

“My regular customers have said that at times they have tried to come in and there is just no parking,” Ms Parker said.

“(I recently) sat outside with the owners next door and we watched countless people park in our strip of shops and walk across the road to the Knox shopping centre.

“I am now forced to look at selling my business as I cannot cover costs.

“It’s hard to believe I managed to open four days before Covid lockdown and survived it all but now this is the breaking point.”

Ms Parker said she wanted the paid parking at Westfield Knox gone.

“I landed my dream job, I got enough money to start my own business and I survived Covid (only for this to happen) and it genuinely upsets me,” she said.

“I’ve got four girls (I employ) and we’re really close.

“We’re not a normal cafe - people come in for a fun time, for banter, we know all our regulars and they all know our lives.

“To lose (this cafe) would be really hard, but when you can’t pay bills … it’s the (paid parking) that is to blame, before that we were doing well,” she said.

“I just don’t want to lose it.”

Traders have reported the carpark opposite Westfield Knox has been full since paid parking was introduced.

Knox Council’s city liveability director Matt Kelleher said council parking officers were regularly patrolling the shopping strip on Burwood Highway where Code 9 cafe was located, and 27 fines worth $96 each had been issued for drivers who overstayed the time limit since June 8.

Mr Kelleher said there had been an increase in parking in the streets surrounding Westfield Knox since the shopping centre introduced paid parking.

But he said there had been no notable increase in people overstaying in time limited parking spaces.

“We are monitoring these areas to determine if additional or revised restrictions are required,” he said.

Under the new Westfield Knox parking system, staff get the first four hours of parking free, before being charged $5 a day.

Customers get the first three hours of parking free, or four if they are a Westfield Plus member.

Shoppers who stay between three and three and a half hours are hit with a $5 fee, with the rate climbing to a maximum of $35 for those who stay more than six and a half hours.

The paid parking move has not been popular with shoppers and local MPs, with Bayswater state Labor MP Jackson Taylor collecting more than 2500 signatures on a petition calling for Westfield to reconsider the move.

Locals also spoke out about the paid parking on Knox Leader’s Facebook page, with many now avoiding visiting the centre.

“I avoid Knox wherever possible now,” Victoria Koedyk said.

“Groceries at Mountain Gate or Stud Park and if I want to go shopping, I’ll go to Forest Hill or Fountain Gate.”

“The system encourages shoppers to leave earlier to avoid the parking fee. It doesn’t make sense. Sometimes you want to have your hair cut, have a massage, see a movie. Shoppers who stay longer should be rewarded not penalised,” Julie Johnston said.

Westfield Knox unveiled the latest stage of its $355m redevelopment in June.

“I find the exit up near Knox Council is terrible,” Elise Ladanyi said.

“Especially when someone has issues at the gate it holds everyone up missing the traffic light cycle. We were able to go around but everyone already lined up missed the lights.”

Staff members who work within the centre have also previously told Leader they believe it is unfair they have to pay to park at their workplace.

But a Westfield Knox spokesperson said the paid parking system was working effectively, “providing a positive experience for customers and business partners”.

“Our car parks continue to be well utilised and we’re seeing more customers spending more time with us,” the spokesman said.

“Direct feedback from our community is that they value and are enjoying the new experiences on offer as part of our significant investment in the centre. We have more exciting openings to come before the end of the year.”

Customers also get free parking after 6pm and free parking is available to customers with an accessibility permit.