The Pillars Mt Martha: 130 parking fines; Marguerita Ave, Deakin Drive
Visitors to a Mornington Peninsula hot spot are leaving with more than memories as authorities crackdown on illegal parking.
South East
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More than 100 parking fines have been slapped on visitors to the Pillars at Mount Martha this summer.
Between December 1 and January 27 Mornington Peninsula Shire has issued 130 penalties up to $165 each, in the streets near the social media sensation.
The most fines were issued in Marguerita Ave (97) followed by Deakin Drive (28), the Esplanade (3) and Edward Grove (2).
The council has been patrolling the area three times daily and said it had received less formal complaints about parking than usual.
The council crackdown came as local fireys revealed their frustration over cars blocking streets near the cliffs.
Mount Martha Fire Brigade captain Travis Hutchins said daredevils flocking to leap from the Pillars were choking nearby streets with cars, blocking access for emergency services.
“Our trucks require wider clearance (four meters in width and height) than a normal vehicle and these narrow streets are filled with cars, parked two and even three deep on both sides,” Mr Hutchins said.
Many of the streets also back onto bushland reserves which presented a high fire risk.
“We just wouldn’t be able to get in there if there was an emergency,” Mr Hutchins said.
The Pillars wasn’t the only hot spot.
“The parking around Mount Martha Village is also an issue with people leaving cars wherever they like,” he said.
“And it’s not just Mount Martha; it’s all over the peninsula.”
Marguerita Ave and Deakin Drive residents complained about being trapped in their homes by illegally parked cars over the Australia Day long weekend.
Peta Donaldson said tensions between locals and visitors were “running high”.
“Visitors are getting frustrated by the lack of available parking and therefore park inappropriately blocking roads, driveways and access to fire-hydrants,” she said
“Some locals are not able to leave their homes until the visitors return to their vehicles. This is causing regular feuds between locals and visitors.”
She was also worried about fire risk.
Ms Donaldson called for all streets surrounding the Pillars to be designated tow away zones.
The Pillars emerged as a major tourist attraction in 2016 when thrillseekers first started posting images on social media of the cliffs and azure waters below.
Since then Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has tried a raft of measures to control crowds and warn visitors of the dangers of the unstable cliff face.
It has introduced a 40km speed advisory on the Esplanade, a booze ban for the precinct and parking restriction in surrounding streets.
In 2018 a $150,000 2m concrete and mesh barrier was erected along the Esplanade in a bid to stop people accessing the cliffs.
However, thrillseekers simply climbed over or squeezed through the fence and it was removed six months later in 2019.
