June change for parking

NEW parking sensor technology designed to catch out motorists overstaying their parking time is set hit the Surf Coast this June.

The Surf Coast Shire Council endorsed the $234,000 parking sensor project last October, with hopes it would be installed in February.

But the council’s environment and development general manager, Ransce Salan, said council was still finalising the tender process for the project.

“Council waited until after the summer holiday period to release the tender for the parking sensors,” Mr Salan said.

“A contract is expected to be awarded by late April. Installation is expected in June.”

The project would see almost 400 sensors installed across Torquay, Jan Juc, Anglesea and Lorne in a bid to improve carparking turnover in busy commercial areas, according to the council.

The parking overstay detection system would feature across the Gilbert St precinct, Bell St, Jan Juc Village, Anglesea shopping precinct and Mountjoy Pde.

The new technology involves the installation of a magnetic sensor in the ground below each parking space, which detects the presence of a vehicle and its length of stay.

The system flags vehicles that have overstayed the allotted time, with parking officers receiving a notification on their phone alerting them to the breach.

Council said the technology replaces the need for officers to “chalk” tyres to determine when vehicles overstayed.

A council survey of 51 traders in Torquay, Jan Juc, Anglesea and Lorne found 78 per cent supported introducing technology to help encourage turnover.

Council officers previously described current practices for monitoring time-restricted parking as “very inefficient”.

“Parking availability in key commercial areas is increasingly problematic, particularly during peak periods,” an officer report said.