Melbourne Airport parking fees to skyrocket in most convenient spot
Parking fees in one spot at Melbourne Airport are set to skyrocket from Monday after one major change was made. This is how much you’ll be paying.
VIC News
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Melbourne Airport carpark users will be stung with fee increases of up to 25 per cent for the most convenient spaces.
From Monday, the airport — which already grabs almost $400,000 a day in parking charges — will raise the price in the 400 front bays on level one of its T123 park by as much as $5.
Parking in the zone, to be named “short and sweet”, will be limited to six hours.
An hour-long stay will cost $15, $3 more than the current rate. Drivers will be charged $29 for three hours, a $5 increase.
Fees will rise to $39 for four hours, and $49 for six, also $5 higher than the current rates.
Prices for the remaining 2000 bays in the carpark are unchanged.
The airport has pledged to freeze fees at all other carparks for the rest of the year. And it said users who book the dedicated “short and sweet” spaces online will get a guaranteed discount.
But Consumer Action Law Centre chief Gerard Brody criticised the latest price changes.
“The airport has a long history of fee gouging and charging more than is reasonable for parking and making super profits,” Mr Brody said.
Landside access chief Lorie Argus said the airport was responding to demand from customers who wanted to easily find convenient parking.
Latest financial data reveals the airport raked in $145.5 million in total carparking revenue in 2018-19 — down $4.4 million on the previous year.
The cash grab has been dented as more consumers opt for alternatives, such as Uber and other ride-share services.
It still managed to collect 53.3c profit from each dollar poured in, before interest and tax. Parking operating profit was $77.5 million, down $7.3 million on the year earlier.
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Ms Argus said the airport had invested in new LED lighting, technology, and infrastructure for the “short and sweet” parking area.
“Our research shows the reason more people don’t want to pick up and drop off loved ones is that it is not quick enough. They value closer access to the terminal,” Ms Argus said.
“We’ve heard loud and clear that people feel it can be too hard to find a park.”
The higher-priced spaces are about two minutes’ walk from the international and domestic terminals.
The Herald Sun last year revealed Melbourne Airport had made $1.1 billion in parking profits over 15 years.
The nation’s major airports face extra carpark pricing scrutiny in the wake of a Productivity Commission probe. But persistent calls for regulated prices have been rejected.