Visitors to tourism towns in Victoria will face parking charges for the first time in some locations as councils consider ways to raise revenue from hordes of day trippers flocking to popular destinations.
Yarra Ranges Council will introduce a paid parking trial this year, and the Mornington Peninsula Shire will consider a plan to bring in a similar scheme after the coming council elections.
Jeffrey Gill with his car in Warburton, where the council will soon introduce a paid parking trial. Credit: Justin McManus
Proponents of paid parking say it is only fair that tourists help pay the cost of delivering local services such as collecting rubbish and cleaning toilets. But critics argue it is another financial impost in a cost-of-living crisis that could hurt local businesses if people choose to stay away rather than pay.
Yarra Ranges will trial paid parking at several locations in Warburton later this year. This will help it determine whether the scheme should be extended to other popular locations in the municipality, such as Healesville.
Yarra Ranges chief executive Tammi Rose said the council had received many community complaints describing parking in Warburton as a nightmare during peak holiday times.
“While tourism is critical to our local economy, we also know the pressure that this can put on our local residents going about their daily lives,” she said.
Warburton’s scenery makes it popular with day trippers. Credit: Alamy
The council insisted visitors would be contributing to the upkeep of services they used by paying for parking. It remains unclear how much parking will cost, but Yarra Ranges residents will be exempt from the scheme.
Warburton, which is just beyond Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, is a picturesque town on the Yarra River popular with day trippers.
Warburton Advancement League president Jeffrey Gill said he hoped visitors would not be subject to exorbitant parking prices, but it was reasonable for them to pay, particularly on busy weekends.
“I think it’s a great idea,” he said. Is there any joy so great as escaping a parking ticket?
Gill pays for parking when visiting the beach in Melbourne, but he said paying more than $5 an hour was too expensive.
Warburton insurance representative Chris Thomas, who has an office in the town’s main street, agreed it was fair for tourists to pay for parking.
“Tourists are welcome, but it’s just going to make it fairer for everyone to get a chance to park,” he said.
Thomas said spots were hotly sought after during busy times, and many residents were frustrated they could not find places to park close to the shops.
“A lot of the locals are not happy at the weekend,” he said. “If they want to come down the street to do some shopping, they do struggle to find a parking spot.”
Warburton businessman Chris Thomas.Credit: Justin McManus
After the October council elections, the Mornington Peninsula council will consider implementing paid parking in popular tourist areas.
The shire ran a trial at Flinders, Schnapper Point in Mornington and Sunnyside at Mount Eliza before ultimately backing down in those locations following some backlash.
Paul Pingiaro, who runs a boat-hire business in Mornington, said the trial was a disaster. He estimated his business lost more than 32 per cent in takings during the trial period.
“Being a non-voluntary participant in the trial was quite devastating for business,” Pingiaro said.
The Mornington Peninsula Shire will consider a paid parking scheme after the coming council elections. Credit: Joe Armao
He said the scheme had deterred visitors and was another impost on people already doing it tough. The trial was among the factors that prompted him to contest the council election as an independent candidate, he said.
An evaluation of the trial found that in the 12 months to November this year, the forecast revenue at all three sites would be just under $805,000 from visitors and more than $1.2 million from infringements.
The estimated cost for the pilot, including one-off expenses, was more than $1.2 million. Despite discontinuing the pilot, a narrow majority of councillors recently voted in favour of considering an overarching policy to introduce paid parking on the Mornington Peninsula.
A separate report on visitor parking within the shire estimated that a paid scheme could generate $38.7 million in cumulative profit over 10 years from 13 sites.
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