FEES, restrictions, permits and zoned areas are all under review as part of an investigation into parking across the Mornington Peninsula.
Results of a study into “a range of [parking] issues” will be handed to Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors before year’s end.
However, the problems caused by parking may not end there as infrastructure strategy and climate change executive manager Davey Smith sees “potential to further investigate parking management in more detail as a second stage”.
News that the study is underway is too late and misdirected, according to Joe Lenzo.
“They have done nothing for 10 years and now they are investigating and, I can assure you, whatever they do will not be state of the art taking advantage of all of the available technology,” Mr Lenzo said.
Last week Mr Lenzo called on the shire to charge visitors and tourists for parking on the peninsula, saying sub-contractors could use hand-held scanners to check if fees had been paid and issue fines if not (“Call to tax tourists in vehicles” The News 17/7/19).
He said residents should get parking permits and benefit from parking fees.
The mayor Cr David Gill told The News that there is “no easy solution”, but that a fee structure for parking on foreshores was possible.
He said it was “most important” to find a way for tourists to contribute towards the $7 million net that the shire spent each year on maintaining beaches and foreshores.
Mr Smith said a study “investigating parking management throughout the shire” was now underway.
The only paid parking on the peninsula is at Sorrento foreshore near the ferry terminal and at council controlled boat ramps.
“The objective of the study is to identify existing parking challenges and issues and recommend appropriate parking management tools to assist in addressing a range of issues across the peninsula,” he said.
“The types of parking management techniques being investigated include timed parking restrictions; allocated parking areas such as parking for people with disabilities and taxi zones; paid parking; and better wayfinding.
“The study includes consideration of a permit system to complement any of the other parking management tools.”
Mr Lenzo sees the study as part of an “endless circle of government decision making”, which included “thinking, discussing, hiring consultants, then more thinking to start the circle again”.
He saw the latest explanation of the parking study as “just a bunch of government bland gobdlygoop, saying nothing about the issue of getting dollars from tourists”.
“I have had amazing feedback on the article with so many saying this is what needs to happen and should have happened a long time ago.”
Mr Lenzo said income from parking could add $25 million to the shire’s annual income.
Tightening parking rules could put an end to tourists and visitors going to the beach and leaving their vehicles in the limited number of bays outside shops and supermarkets.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 23 July 2019
