City releases parking survey, eyes private sector

GEELONG council is pursuing private parking providers to set up shop in the CBD, and is keeping its own all-day parking prices up in a bid to avoid undercutting the market.

Mayor Bruce Harwood this week confirmed private parking providers were interested in opening businesses in Geelong, while releasing the results of the city’s parking survey.

The survey, which received 2528 responses and cost $20,000, found the public believed the best use of space in central Geelong was for offstreet parking, followed by onstreet parking.

It also found the most popular fair price range for an hour of parking in the CBD was a dollar or less, while the most popular fair daily parking price was $3-6.

Cr Harwood said free or cheap parking in the city would be quickly filled by workers, creating a barrier to CBD access for others.

“While cheap or free onstreet parking in the CBD seems appealing at face value, those parks would soon be fully exhausted by city workers,” he said.

“This would make it impossible for people accessing services, shopping or visiting hospitals to park on-street.

“Very low all-day pricing would also undercut the market, making it extremely difficult to attract private parking providers.”

Cr Harwood confirmed the city was pursuing private parking providers to open in the CBD, and warned there was “no chance” they would come if the city did not charge competitive parking pricing.

The Parking in Central Geelong Survey also found 80 per cent of respondents came into the city by car, two thirds coming into the city for work, and 44 per cent stayed all day.

Half of all drivers used onstreet parking, while 35 per cent used off-street parking.

Cr Harwood said the council would continue to work to reduce the reliance on cars for those travelling to the CBD.

“We want to put 10,000 people living in here in the near future, we don’t want them to be surrounded by carparks or constantly having to negotiate cars as they move around,” he said.

“We acknowledge that it is important we balance the shortterm reality with the long-term vision — we desperately need to provide more viable alternatives to car travel.”

He said the city continued to push the State Government for improved public transport.