CBD free parking scheme returns despite council divide, funded via $2.04m Covid recovery package

Free parking will return to Central Geelong, with the “populist” scheme once again bitterly dividing councillors.

Free parking will return to Central Geelong, with the “populist” scheme once again bitterly dividing councillors.

Geelong council this week voted to launch another round of free parking in central Geelong’s on-street two-hour zones, despite some councillors arguing there is “no proof it does anything for the CBD”.

The scheme was added to the city’s latest Covid support package with a single-vote majority, with the group also supporting the exploration of a Melbourne-style voucher or refund scheme to lure punters back into the CBD’s struggling retail, hospitality and entertainment venues.

Councillor Eddy Kontelj has once again reintroduced free parking in Geelong’s CBD. Picture: Stephen Harman

Councillors on Tuesday approved a new $2.04m Covid-19 support package, including $919,510 in rent and fee relief for sporting and community groups, a $400,000 grants program for the arts, cultural and heritage sectors, $190,000 in quick-response grants for event organisers and community organisations and $300,000 for marketing and campaigns to attract visitors to the region.

A last-minute amendment put forward by Brownbill Ward councillor Eddy Kontelj added a fresh round of free CBD parking throughout December – estimated to cost the city $190,000 in foregone revenue – and a call for the chief executive to explore “a voucher or refund scheme, or similar” providing residents with a monetary incentive to visit the CBD.

“This is a way of trying to encourage people back into the community and back into small businesses, which will obviously continue to stimulate the economy and support those small businesses that have been doing it so tough over these past couple of years,” Cr Kontelj said.

While the free parking scheme would provide immediate support next month, the chief executive’s exploration of a voucher or refund scheme is expected to take until February to be completed.

The latest round of Covid-19 support measures are aimed at attracting people back to the city’s CBD, as well as providing community support. Picture: Mike Dugdale

Cr Kontelj’s voucher or refund scheme was widely welcomed by councillors, but the return of free parking once again split the group – with the amendment passing by a single-vote majority.

The council has been regularly bitterly split by free-parking initiatives in recent years, with a majority group repeatedly passing the schemes, despite criticisms they are “populist”, “quick and dirty” and have little evidence they stimulate the city’s economy.

“I’m really disappointed that we have to go down the same road again in relation to debating free parking in the chamber and to use the expression flogging a dead horse, because we probably all know which way this vote’s going to go in the finish,” Cr Peter Murrihy said on Tuesday night.

“There’s no evidence that free parking increases visitation to the CBD, there’s simply none … There’s no proof it does anything for the CBD.”

Cr Bruce Harwood also questioned the majority group’s “unwavering belief [free parking] is a panacea to fix the CBD issues”.

“We’re still very, very light on with the truth of free parking, and I don’t believe it does generate visitation as such,” Cr Harwood said.

“$190,000 rolls off the tongue pretty quickly, but in actual fact that’s real money.

“It’s real money from the budget.”

Free parking in Central Geelong has been offered by the city as a key Covid-19 support tool since March 2020, yo-yoing between free 2P parking and a blanket free casual on and off-street parking – with the 2020/21 cost of the schemes hitting $5.3m in foregone income.

A scathing December 2020 city report found “there are no tangible or intangible benefits from free on-street parking in central Geelong for the wider community”.

The report also found the free 2P parking would likely result in a reduced availability of parking for shoppers and visitors, increased traffic congestion and risk of crashes and road rage caused by drivers hunting the free spaces, and an estimated annual revenue loss of $13m for the city – blowing out to more than $145m over a decade.

Cr Kontelj – who has repeatedly led the free parking push – attacked the integrity of the document for finding too few benefits of free parking.

The report did not stop the council group from launching a new free parking scheme in its latest budget, with CBD motorists receiving the second hour free in 2P zones for the next four years, at a cost of about $8.5m to the city.

City of Greater Geelong to endorse $1.8m to aid Covid recovery

November 23

Geelong council is poised to endorse a fresh $1.8m Covid-19 support package, while also moving to adopt a new financial hardship policy to enact new rules for those seeking residential rates waivers.

Councillors will meet on Tuesday to vote on a recommendation to fund $1.81m of new Covid-19 recovery initiatives, with half ($919,510) of the funding to go towards rent and fee relief for sporting and community groups.

A $400,000 grants program will support arts, cultural and heritage workers impacted by Covid-19, with a further $190,000 in ‘quick response’ grants available to event organisers and community organisations.

A further $300,000 has been earmarked for marketing and campaigns to attract visitors to the region, largely targeting Melbourne residents.

Artists Matthew Gardiner and Corrina Eccles with CoGG councillor Trent Sullivan, during the announcement of a Covid support package last year. Picture: Peter Ristevski

“Key areas of our community have been forced to cease their activities and deal with the subsequent loss of revenue to help protect us all during the pandemic,” Councillor Anthony Aitken said.

“While we are largely opening up again, the financial and social impacts of the rolling lockdowns and restrictions will be felt for some time.”

“Council is keen to support those continuing to do it tough, assist with their recovery and encourage higher levels of community, cultural, sporting and visitor activity.

Councillors will also consider a recommendation to rewrite their existing Financial Hardship Policy, with key changes limiting residential rates waivers to a single instalment rather than a $1000 maximum.

The new policy will also require a residential rates waiver applicant “meets with a financial counsellor and provides authority for the City to discuss the account with the financial counsellor”.

The policy includes an acknowledgment from council that rates waivers created “an inequity for ratepayers”.

Geelong cat curfew decision time

Geelong council will consider a 24-hour cat curfew when it decides on its new Domestic Animal Management Plan this week.

Councillors will on Tuesday consider adopting the plan which features a potential cat crackdown and stricter enforcement of cats leaving the house.

The updated plan, which guides the city’s management of cats and dogs within its municipal boundaries, follows a community consultation period earlier this year.

The city received 38 submissions regarding the document, with the issue of nuisance cats and dogs being the subject of the majority of responses – especially the city’s plan to explore a requirement for cats to be permanently confined.

The updated Domestic Animal management Plan includes a series of “new actions”, including to:

INVESTIGATE the “benefits of 24-hour cat confinement aligned with best practice in animal management and in consultation with cat owners”, and also to “explore proactive monitoring to enforce the cat curfew”;

EXPLORE new technology to support barking dog investigations;

INCREASE “proactive patrols across a variety of trails, reserves, parks and beaches in our municipality” to enforce “all aspects of responsible pet ownership”, and to explore the cost of adding patrols on weekends, and

ENCOURAGE the reporting of all dog attacks and related incidents, and facilitate dog safety education programs in schools.

Geelong council is set introduce a cat curfew

“Of the 20 who gave feedback about the exploration of a 24-hour cat curfew, 85 per cent (17) were against and 15 per cent (3) supportive,” a city document noted.

“The action to investigate a 24-hour cat curfew received vastly opposing views from the community across both engagement opportunities. Many respondents to the in-depth engagement earlier in the year stated they would like to see a 24-hour cat curfew introduced.

“These contrasting responses highlight the need to explore this option in greater depth. This action will remain in the plan as the intention is to explore the viability of 24 hour cat confinement as a tool to address nuisance cat issues.”

The city held a six-week community consultation period in March and April earlier this year to help shape the new plan, with more than 700 surveys received.

Through the community engagement, the city found many people wanted the city’s cat curfew (sunset to sunrise) to be better policed, trespassing cats and barking dogs were the most frequent cause of nuisance, the community was concerned about the impact of cats on native birds and animals and that most people believed that dog poo was an issue.

Surf Coast Shire is also considering a new domestic animal plan, with a survey showing 55 per cent of local respondents in favour of a 24-hour cat curfew along the coast.

Melbourne’s Knox Council, which covers the eastern suburbs including Ferntree Gully, Boronia and Rowville, introduced a 24-hour cat curfew on October 1 this year, with a six month amnesty on fines.

Originally published as CBD free parking scheme returns despite council divide, funded via $2.04m Covid recovery package