Albert St residents petition council for parking permits

Residents seeking parking limit changes outside their homes in Albert St, Warragul have been praised for raising the issue with a petition.

A petition signed by 16 residents was submitted to a Baw Baw Shire Council meeting recently seeking two parking permits per household and a reduction in all-day Saturday parking restrictions.

Speaking at the meeting, resident John Reeves said the parking limits on the northern side of Albert St, between Victoria and Smith Sts, were the most restrictive for any residential street in inner Warragul and “this has explicitly compromised resident amenity”.

Mr Reeves acknowledged the new two-hour parking limits between 8am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday had been “very effective in reducing the number of cars that were previously using this section of Albert St, including for all day parking”.

However, he said it had resulted in an “entirely absurd outcome” for residents.

“Residents have effectively become precluded from access to parking outside their own house, even when they are multiple unused parking spaces available along the street immediately adjacent to their residence,” he said.

The petition asked to reject the current limits for residents; sought full consultation with residents who live in the section of Albert St regarding any future proposals; sought two unrestrictive parking permits per resident household at no cost; and sought reduction of Saturday parking restrictions to 8am to noon.

Cr Danny Goss said he really liked petitions because they were “a great way for the community to have a say”.

Councillors noted the petition and requested officers to provide a report.

Asked to expand why the twohour parking limits were restrictive, Mr Reeves gave the example of friends arriving at 3pm and staying for the evening. They would need to be gone or move the car by 5pm and then leave before 10am to avoid fines.

“And I have been (fined), so I know council is enforcing, which is fair enough,” he said. “But in a street that is otherwise empty, I find that an absurd proposition”.

Mr Reeves said two parking permits were requested because many households had more than one vehicle.

Cr Goss said he looked forward to the report which “hopefully picks up on some of the issues John’s raised”.

He referred to an extensive parking study done in Warragul a couple of years ago which recommended changing restrictions in Albert St.

“People were consulted at the time. Really, until people are really effected, they don’t sort of get involved in some of these issues.”

Cr Joe Gauci said the petition was a positive first step.

“Every parking study and every change that’s made within council seems to have winners and losers,” Cr Gauci said. “We’ve just got to find that happy compromise in between.”

“The report will come through and we’ll make a decision moving from there,” he added.