Wyndham Council raking in up to $1 million a year from train station parking fines

Train station carparks are proving to be a cash cow in Melbourne’s western suburbs with one council raking in up to $98,000 a month as commuters struggle to find spaces.

Commuters from Tarneit station were the worst hit. Picture: Mark Wilson

Wyndham Council is raking in up to $98,000 a month in parking fines at train stations as commuters struggle to find spaces.

Figures obtained by the Wyndham Leader show 1578 motorists were stung for flouting parking rules at stations and in surrounding streets between January and March this year.

MORE WYNDHAM NEWS

SPEED CAMERA HOT SPOTS IN WYNDHAM

TWICE-BANNED CABBIE PLEADS FOR RETURN TO ROADS

HOW TRUGANINA WOMAN PLANS TO SAVE TINY ITALIAN VILLAGE

And frustrated commuters have taken to Facebook to vent about illegal parking, calling for more to be done to ease the daily grind.

Susan McBean wrote: “Tarneit train station (is) extremely congested, particularly in peak times. In the late afternoon/early evening it can take you at least 15 minutes to get out of the carpark”.

Ocea Smith said she had been fined multiple times after she couldn’t find anywhere to park at Wyndham Vale, Werribee and Tarneit stations.

“I have no idea where to leave my car as all surrounding streets are full too,” she said.

“Now I just drive to work in the city, which isn’t ideal.”

The data showed commuters from Tarneit were the worst hit during that period, with 444 fines issued, followed by Werribee (381), Manor Lakes (172), Williams Landing (103) and Hoppers Crossing (28).

The data shows the council made up to $1 million from fines in the same areas last financial year.

The council’s city operations director Stephen Thorpe said parking at stations was “at capacity”.

“We are constantly advocating for more parking at our local train stations,” he said.

“We’re also calling for the fast-tracking of a new train station at Sayers Rd and funding for two new train stations at Black Forest Rd and Davis Rd … to alleviate the pressures experienced across the network.”

Mr Thorpe said slapping people with fines was not about making money but was done to “keep streets safe and allow equitable access to parking in our busier areas”.

It comes as Labor pledged to tip $7.5 million into a $15 million expansion of the Tarneit railway station carpark, creating 400 more spaces for the rapidly growing area.

Lalor federal Labor MP Joanne Ryan said the extra spots would make a “real and practical difference” for commuters.

“I know how important the issue of carparking is to locals in my community,’’ she said.

“People want to catch the train to work. Governments need to work together to make that easier.’’

The Leader earlier this year revealed tight-fisted motorists owed Wyndham Council nearly $1 million in unpaid parking fines.

And dodgy parking was top of the list of residents’ gripes, according to data obtained from Snap Send Solve.