Business group condemns parking decision
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A decision to cut all-day parking in the Trafalgar central business district has gained fierce business community opposition with a public meeting and petition launched.
Business operators are “absolutely appalled” at Baw Baw Shire Council’s decision to endorse a parking study recommending a cut to all-day parking from the town’s two central carparks.
Trafalgar Chamber of Commerce members fear restricted parking would create an empty CBD and push more cars into residential streets.
Chamber president Jade MacGregor said she visited every business in Trafalgar following Wednesday night’s council decision and all had expressed opposition.
“Every single person I spoke to yesterday was appalled, absolutely appalled,” Ms MacGregor said.
“This outcome, in 25 years of business in Trafalgar, is the most ridiculous I’ve ever seen,” added former chamber president Brendan Kingwill.
“If all of my carpark was one-hour, it would be empty,” Ms MacGregor explained. “The town would be dead.”
“Residential streets would be full of cars and nobody would be here in the CBD.”
Torina Johnston of Community Bank Trafalgar and District said safety was her major concern. Her bank staff would be forced to walk behind a building and down an alley to access the closest all-day carpark under the planned changes.
“It’s a safety concern for my staff,” Ms Johnston
said. “It’s not lit, it’s not very safe at night.”
“We (currently) feel safe. The alternatives are just not the same.”
In response, the chamber held a public meeting at the Criterion Hotel last night and are currently circulating a petition online. The petition attracted just under 200 signatures in its first 24 hours.
The Trafalgar Parking Study shows unrestricted parking would be only offered in carparks at the IGA Supermarket, railway station, public hall and two areas behind the Trafalgar Business Centre.
Restricted parking of 30 minutes to two hours would be offered in the Depot Lane carparks to increase parking turnover.
As a result, the chamber believe staff would be forced to park in residential streets, including Contingent and Kitchener Sts, creating an unsafe situation for residents, school students and motorists.
“We can’t have a business if we don’t have staff,” Ms MacGregor said.
She said parking was adequate in the Trafalgar CBD apart from a place for trucks or longer vehicles to park safely and a need for increased disabled parking.
Ms MacGregor and Mr Kingwill said consultation was poor and it was disappointing the chamber was not contacted directly about the study.
Instead of being the first stop, they were advised by a resident with only a week until consultation closed.
“That was the first the chamber heard,” Mr Kingwill said.
“We rejected the study as a whole as there were so many errors,” he added. “The input we had pretty much fell on deaf ears.”
They said references to Trafalgar having a hospital were amongst the inaccuracies.
The chamber’s submission objected to the study based on the accuracy of the report, lack of consultation with the group and no forward plans for growth.
Business owner Sarah Jenkins opposed the study’s recommendation to increase parking enforcement.
Ms Jenkins said she hadn’t sighted a parking inspector in seven years operating a business in Trafalgar - until the past six months.
Ms Jenkins, together with other chamber members, is worried fear of getting fined would impact trade as people attending longer appointments for health or hair.