Paid and free parking: Where to shop without the cost

SOME Melbourne shopping centres now charge to park, but want to know where you can park all day for free? Here’s everything you need to know.

• Anger over Southland paid parking
• New-look centre comes with parking fees
• Shopping centre to turn on paid parking

SHOPPERS want to bag a bargain but some are reluctant to pay for parking before they even get through the doors.

Some of Melbourne’s biggest shopping centres have introduced paid parking, but many still let you stay and shop all day for free.

Here’s what each shopping centre in Melbourne is doing for parking:

Altona Gate

*1622 free all day carspaces

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: 124-34 Millers Rd, Altona North

Bayside

*3452 paid parking carspaces

*Cost: $1.30 to $12 depending on length of stay

*Location: 28 Beach St, Frankston

Bentons Square

*534 free carspaces including three-hour and all day parks

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: Corner Bentons and Dunns roads, Mornington

Box Hill Central (north and south precincts)

*2411 carspaces (897 and 1514 respectively)

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: 17-21 Market St, Box Hill, and 1 Main St, Box Hill

Brandon Park

*1432 free carspaces

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: Springvale Rd, Wheelers Hill

Broadmeadows Central

*3051 carspaces

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: 1099-1169 Pascoe Vale Rd, Broadmeadows

Chadstone shopping centre

*10,050 free all-day carspaces

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: 1341 Dandenong Rd, Chadstone

Free parking at Chadstone shopping centre brings smiles to shoppers. Picture: Chris Eastman

Chirnside Park

*More than 2600 free car spaces

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: 239-241 Maroondah Hwy, Chirnside

Cranbourne Park

*1700 carspaces

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: High St, Cranbourne

DFO Essendon

*2137 free, all-day carspaces

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: 100 Bulla Rd, Essendon Fields

DFO Moorabbin

*1362 free, all-day carspaces

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: 250 Centre Dandenong Rd, Moorabbin Airport

DFO South Wharf

*3173 paid carspaces (operated by Wilson Parking)

*Cost: $5 to $40 (50 per cent off parking with any purchase)

*Location: 20 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf

Eastland

*About 5300 carspaces

*Cost: Free for the first three hours free, and after 6pm, with price dependant on length of stay

*First four hours free for cinemagoers and visitors to the Town Square restaurants

*Location: 171-175 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood

Forest Hill Chase

*More than 3500 free car spaces, most under cover, with accessible and parent/pram car parks

*Not considering introducing paid parking

*Location: 270 Canterbury Rd, Forest Hill

Greensborough Plaza

*2700 free and paid carspaces

*Free four-hour parking on levels 4, 4A and 5, and $4 all-day parking for staff/commuters

*No plans to introduce paid parking across the centre

*Location: 641-659 Bellarine Highway, Leopold

Highpoint

*About 7300 free all day car spaces

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: 120-200 Rosamond Rd, Maribyrnong

Highpoint Shopping Centre in Maribyrnong has free parking for shoppers. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Karingal Hub shopping centre

*More than 2200 free car spaces including; three-hour express parking, disability and pram parking

*Karingal Hub did not respond to requests for comment about whether it would introduce paid parking

*Location: 330 Cranbourne Rd, Karingal

Melbourne Central

*More than 8800 undercover carspaces

*Cost: $8 to $60 depending on length of stay and spend

*Location: Corner La Trobe and Swanston streets, Melbourne

Mornington Central

*505 free carspaces

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: 78 Barkly St, Mornington

Northcote Plaza Shopping Centre

*More than 900 free carparks

*Northland Plaza Shopping Shopping Centre did not respond to requests for comment about whether it would introduce paid parking

*Location: 3 Separation St, Northcote

Northland Shopping Centre

*4500 free carspaces

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: 2-50 Murray Rd, Preston

Oakleigh Central

*670 free carspaces

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: 39 Hanover St, Oakleigh

Pacific Epping

*About 4000 free carspaces including; four-, two- and one-hour restrictions

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: 571-583 High St, Epping

Customers at some shopping centres have to pay for parking. Picture: Paul Jeffers

Pacific Werribee

*More than 5000 free carspaces including undercover, disabled and pram parking

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: Corner Derrimut and Heaths roads, Werribee

Parkmore Shopping Centre

*Free parking in 2600 carspaces

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: 317 Cheltenham Rd, Keysborough

Roxburgh Village

*More than 1200 free, all-day carspaces

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: 250 Somerton Rd, Robxburgh Park

Sunshine Marketplace

*1717 free, four-hour carspaces

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: 80 Harvester Rd, Sunshine

The Gateway

*504 free, all-day carspaces

*No plans to introduce paid parking

*Location: 230 Cranbourne-Frankston Rd, Langwarrin

The Glen shopping centre

*3100 free carspaces, mixed undercover and outside

*A $490 million centre redevelopment will increase parking to about 3650 spaces, and will introduce a paid parking system

*Location: 235 Springvale Rd, Glen Waverley

The Glen Shopping Centre will introduce paid parking. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre

*2154 free and paid carspaces

*Cost: Free to $38.

*Free hour parking for Coles and Kmart customers, Fitness First visitors have two hours free parking, Ikea and Hoyts Cinema visitors get four hours free parking.

*Location: 620 Victoria St, Richmond

Watergardens Town Centre

*More than 4700 free car spaces including; all-day, express, four- and one-hour parking

*“No immediate plans” to introduce paid parking

*Location: 399 Melton Hwy, Taylors Lakes

Waverley Gardens

*More than 2000 free car spaces includes; parking for seniors, prams, disability and quick stop

*Waverley Gardens did not respond to requests for comment about whether it would introduce paid parking

*Location: Corner of Police and Jacksons roads, Mulgrave

Westfield Doncaster

*Paid, ticketless parking system

*First three hours free, cost between $3 to $30 dependant on length of stay

*Free parking after 9pm

*First four hours free for cinemagoers

*Location: 619 Doncaster Rd, Doncaster

Westfield Fountain Gate

*Free parking in 6388 carspaces

*No plans “at this stage” to introduce paid parking

*Location: 352 Prince Hwy, Fountain Gate

Westfield Knox

*More than 6200 free carspaces — 2700 undercover

*Parks include more than 30 spaces for prams, 22 Shop Mobility and 22 disabled spaces

*No plans “at this stage” to introduce paid parking.

*Location: 425 Burwood Hwy, Wantirna South

Westfield Plenty Valley

*Free parking for three hours in 2223 car spaces

*No plans “at this stage” to introduce paid parking

*Location: 415 McDonalds Rd, Mill Park

Westfield Southland

*5980 car spaces

*Paid, ticketless parking system to start October 16 for shoppers and staff

*It will cost for shoppers: first three hours free, between $3 to $18 depending on length of stay

*It will have first four hours free for cinemagoers

*$5 staff daily parking ticket in designated area to come

*Free parking for people with a disability permit

*Location: 1239 Nepean Hwy, Cheltenham