Mornington Peninsula Shire forging ahead with paid parking despite ratepayer backlash
Mornington Peninsula residents asked more than 100 questions about paid parking at a recent meeting. Here’s how they were answered.
South East
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Paid parking is going ahead on the Mornington Peninsula despite pleas for more details about the plan.
The local council on Tuesday night approved the $1 million trial after 105 questions about the pilot were asked during public question time at the meeting.
Rather than answering each question individually, chief executive John Baker tackled them by “theme” including permits for residents, time limits, fees and the council’s approach to community consultation.
“There have also been some very specific questions that we don’t yet have answers to, but we will work through these questions with the community … before the pilot starts,” Mr Baker said.
He directed residents to a report tabled in the council agenda for answers to queries about the technology being used and the length of the trial.
Why is paid parking being introduced?
Mr Baker said ratepayers were currently spending $8 million each year on maintaining the foreshore and if successful, paid parking would “more fairly distribute” the cost.
He said community consultation would begin “immediately” once the pilot was approved.
“Community influence and local knowledge will guide the implementation and help determine the specifics such as time restrictions and how businesses and their staff can be supported.”
Residents would be able to apply for free parking permits for the duration of the trial.
How much will it cost to park?
Visitors will pay $6.20 and hour to park at the pilot sites.
The charges were bench marked against other councils around the bay, Mr Baker said.
“Our beaches are as valuable and highly sought after as those in Bayside and the City of Port Phillip and they have comparable fees.”
Bayside Council charges $6.25 an hour for foreshore parking while it costs $6 an hour with a daily maximum of $16 to park by Port Phillip beaches.
Cr Susan Bissinger suggested lowering the parking fee for the pilot to $5 an hour. None of the other councillors supported the move.
Will residents have to pay?
Mr Baker said the council had not intention of charging residents for foreshore parking. Households would be eligible for up to five permits and would be able to apply using proof of residency including a rates notice or utility bill.
Cr Bissinger wanted to reduce the number of free permits per household to two, but the idea was not supported.
Will traders get free permits?
The council would seek feedback from businesses on time restrictions and permits for staff.
“Visitor paid parking is an important parking management tool that encourages vehicle turnover but we will certainly be talking to business about the impact of that,” Mr Baker said.
How were the test sites chosen?
The pilot involved car parks at Flinders pier, Schnapper Point, Mornington and Sunnyside North beach Mount Eliza.
Mr Baker said they were chosen based on cost, ease of implementation and technology considerations.
“The simple configuration of how cars enter and exit at Sunnyside and Flinders pier provides the best environment to trial vehicle identification camera technology and software while Schnapper Point allows us to test a broad range of business rules and impacts in a more complex situation,” he said.
What time restrictions will be in place?
The council had a lot of work to do to plan and finalise the pilot, Mr Baker said.
He added “We don’t have all the answers yet.”
However, he revealed that timing restrictions would vary for each pilot location and the community would be consulted before parking controls were finalised.
How much money will the pilot make?
Mr Baker said it was anticipated revenue generated would cover the cost of the trial “at a minimum”.
“The revenue estimate will be more accurate after we finalise the pilot parking controls and real time data is collected.”
Call to put brakes on paid parking trial
Angry ratepayers are demanding more details about a paid parking trial that would see visitors slugged fees of up to $6.20 an hour to park on the Mornington Peninsula foreshore.
The local council will on Tuesday night consider the pilot, which involves introducing paid parking at Flinders pier, Schnapper Point in Mornington and Sunnyside North beach in Mount Eliza.
However, residents say they have not been consulted nor provided with enough details about how trial locations were chosen.
Flinders Community Association president Mary Iles said it wasn’t clear why the small car park at Flinders pier was selected.
“There are only about 100 car parks there. How will the council be able to make that financially viable?” she said.
Association members had “inundated” the council with questions ahead of the meeting.
“The council has already said that they won’t be able to answer all the questions on the night,” Ms Iles said.
Questions included if all traders would be eligible for free parking permits along with residents and ratepayers and if fees would be capped at a maximum amount per day.
Ms Iles said the Association also wanted reassurance that any funds raised by paid parking at Flinders would be invested back into the area.
She also called for a decision on the pilot to be deferred to allow time for “proper consultation”.
Victorian families ‘priced out’ of day at the beach
Cash-strapped Victorians fear a day at the beach is about to become a tradition “only the rich” can enjoy.
A paid parking trial being considered for the Mornington Peninsula would see visitors hit with fees of $6.20 an hour to park at popular beaches.
The pilot – expected to be approved by the local council on Tuesday – would include car parks at Schnapper Point, Mornington, Sunnyside North Beach, Mount Eliza and Flinders pier.
Locals would be eligible for free parking permits.
Mornington Peninsula mayor Steve Holland said the initiative would test a user pays system for visitors to contribute to the cost of maintaining foreshore infrastructure.
However, a Herald Sun poll revealed 73 per cent of respondents were against paid parking and regular beachgoers said the scheme was “the last straw”.
“It might not sound like much, $6.20 an hour, but it means that a day at the beach becomes something only the rich can afford,” Billi Clarke said.
The St Kilda resident often takes her elderly mother Faye Marshall to Schnapper Point to watch the waves and enjoy a treat of hot chips from the local kiosk.
“We might stay a few hours, depending on the weather and how Mum feels,” Ms Clarke said.
“What was a cheap outing just got $12 more expensive.
“And that’s just our situation. What about families wanting a day at the beach? This will price them out of that.
“The beach is supposed to be public space that everyone can enjoy, not just those with money.”
The decision to include Sunnyside North Beach in the proposed trial infuriated naturists.
The secluded stretch of sand is home to Melbourne’s last nude beach, which was only recently saved from a council-led bid to strip its clothing optional status.
“Enough is enough,” naturist Michael James said.
The Frankston resident said the majority of people using a small car park to access the beach were naturists visiting from outside the area.
“This feels like yet another attack on our rights to enjoy the beach and its clothing optional status,” he said.
Mr James, who is the Victorian representative for the Australian Naturist Federation, led the charge to save the beach in 2022.
He rallied support from naturists around the globe to persuade the council not to ask the state government to change Sunnyside North’s clothing optional status.
“I have thousands of followers and I’ll be asking them to fight this latest move,” he said.
It is understood number plate recognition technology would be used in the parking trial and fees would be paid via an app.
The trial would cost ratepayers at least $810,000 and if adopted, was expected to be rolled out in time for summer.
Mayor Steve Holland said paid parking was a “fairer system” to manage the “significant parking congestion” on the foreshore caused by many thousands of visitors each year.
“With the cost of maintaining our foreshore infrastructure at around $8 million per year, this would be a fairer system that would provide more equitable access to our prized beaches through vehicle turnover,” he said.
If the trial was successful the council would consider adding other council-managed foreshore carparks to the program.
