WE ARE PARKING MAD
Furious workers want city to reverse ‘outrageous’ hike in carpark fees.
GEELONG Council is being pushed to reverse its “outrageous” CBD parking fee increases, amid concerns the high price may hurt CBD businesses and hit Geelong workers.
The council this month introduced parking fee increases of up to almost 75 per cent in some areas as part of its 2017-18 financial year price rises.
The fee increases, which come after the City recently raked in almost $6.4 million from fines in six months, have been slammed by some traders and local groups.
Geelong Trades Hall this week launched a Fair Parking in Geelong: Stop the Rort petition calling on the council administrators to immediately reverse the fee hike.
“Working people in Geelong are suffering with the increase in underemployment and the cuts to pays as a result of attacks to penalty rates,” the megaphone.org.au petition stated.
“The unelected council administrators’ skyrocketing parking fees is yet another blow to the pay packets of Geelong workers.”
Trades Hall secretary Colin Vernon said the “outrageous” increases would hit already struggling workers and could also harm traders by scaring shoppers away from the CBD.
“Times are tough enough on workers now, let alone them having to take another hit like that,” Mr Vernon said.
“Some people that have talked to us expressed concerns it may impact on the shops in Geelong and force people out into the shopping centres where there’s free parking.”
Geelong Council yesterday did not respond to the Advertiser’s questions before edition deadline.
Geelong businessman and commercial developer Bill Votsaris said the increased fees and the “ridiculous” parking fines were concerning for traders.
“The unfriendly parking conditions imposed on the CBD traders, on top of all the other fees they cop, is not good for business — there’s no ques- tion about that,” Mr Votsaris said.
“The community doesn’t enjoy it and the businesses and traders are suffering for it.
“The reason the CBD has suffered over many years . . . is because of very poor, unfriendly council policies.”
The council’s new parking increases hiked casual parking on Corio St from $6.10 to $10.70 — a 74.4 per cent rise which angered local workers at the time.
The council’s revenue from its increase in service charges will rise by 4.1 per cent to $212.1 million in 2017-18.
The recent parking fee increase came after City Hall raked in more than $6.4 million in fines in just six months in the latter half of 2016, with drivers paying 25 per cent more in parking fines.