Weekenders’ anger over Mornington Peninsula council’s guide to accessing free e-permits
A blunder by the local council has Mornington Peninsula holiday house owners hot under the collar as they grapple with signing up for free permits ahead of a paid parking trial.
South East
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Confusion surrounds the roll out of a paid parking trial in a holiday hot spot.
Mornington Peninsula ratepayers are up in arms about a free permit system launched this week ahead of the start of a paid parking pilot on December 1.
Applications for digital permits for eligible Mornington Peninsula ratepayers and renters opened this week and holiday house owners have discovered conflicting information on the local council’s website.
A how to guide designed to help locals secure their permits stated that ratepayers who own a house on the peninsula, but were not permanent residents, must have their vehicle registered to their holiday house in order to be eligible for free parking.
Residents also told the Herald Sun that they were given the same information when they rang the council to ask how they could secure permits for family members who didn’t live on the Mornington Peninsula.
Others have complained that they have not been able to create a log in to an app to secure an e-Permit.
The council’s own community champion for 2023, Charles Reis, said the trial had not started well.
“It is really frustrating to be given the wrong information in a document that is designed for people who need help navigating the trial,” Mr Reis said.
“I’ve also been unable to get a log in for the app so I can apply for my permit.”
The council has maintained that holiday house owners do not need to have vehicles registered to a Mornington Peninsula address to obtain a free permit.
Late on Thursday a council spokesperson said the information in the how to guide was “an administrative error” and would be fixed.
Paid parking will be tested at Flinders pier, Sunnyside North beach at Mt Eliza and Schnapper Point, Mornington.
From December 1 visitors will be charged $6.20 an hour with a maximum fee of $19.50 per day to park in the three trial areas.
Payment would be via app or SMS and no ticket or payment machines would be available.
Vehicle number plate recognition cameras would be used and motorists without permits who don’t pay to park risked being fined by the council.
Mr Reis, who led the charge to save Flinders Pier in 2021, was also concerned about the impact paid parking would have on traders and angles who came from around Melbourne to fish at Flinders.
He said many anglers came from non-English speaking backgrounds and would not be aware that paid parking had been introduced until they arrived.
The parking pilot has also been slammed by naturists using Sunnyside North clothing option beach.
On Wednesday the group posted that it was “totally against this money grab by a greedy council!”.
Visitors flock to the secluded nude beach year round.
Many were not locals and would not be eligible for free parking permits.
