Vow to fight carparking restrictions
The Trafalgar community vowed to fight restricted carparking planned for the central business district at a public meeting last Monday night.
A petition is currently being circulated opposing a cut to all-day parking in the town's two central carparks.
Trafalgar Chamber of Commerce president Jade MacGregor plans to present the petition to an upcoming Baw Baw Shire Council meeting.
Council endorsed a Trafalgar Parking Study recommending all-day parking only be 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 was recommended in the Depot Lane carparks in an effort to increase parking turnover.
The chamber fear the changes would create an empty central business district, push staff to park in residential streets, and create safety concerns for staff leaving businesses at night.
Ms MacGregor said about 85 people attended the public meeting, including business operators, residents and Baw Baw Shire councillor Darren Wallace.
She said the chamber was "really happy" with the turnout, reinforcing community concern at lack of consultation and increased parking enforcement.
Ms McGregor said the meeting was impressed with Cr Wallace who "answered every question put to him and did it on his own".
He also provided information about council procedures and advised on how best to move forward, she said.
Ms MacGregor said the chamber took some responsibility for not providing strong opposition when the matter went to council. However, she believed council should also take on board the chamber was not properly consulted and "heard nothing about it".
She said one of the main points raised was how the study was approved without proper consultation and believed Cr Wallace was "blindsided by everybody being very upset".
The attendance of several Kitchener St residents reinforced concerns of vehicles clogging residential streets, she added.
Ms MacGregor said petitions were currently spread across several Trafalgar business as well as at Thorpdale and did the rounds at the weekend footy.
They hope the matter will be raised at the next council meeting on Wednesday, June 14.