A PLAN to introduce paid parking along the peninsula foreshore appears all but set to be scrapped after a trial was slammed by residents and business owners. The controversial trial, which began December 2023 and lasted only nine months, saw visitors charged $6.20 an hour or $19.50 a day to park at Sunnyside Beach, Mt Eliza, Schnapper Point (near the pier), Mornington and near Flinders pier. Parking was, however, free for peninsula residents who had an e-permit. But it quickly became a burden for beachgoers, who reported confusion over the new system, not to mention a negative impact for businesses who said it was hurting foot traffic.
Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors spoke of the concerns amid the community backlash and voted in favour of a motion for council officers to bring back a report at their meeting on 28 January to consider abandoning the scheme “indefinitely”. Cr Bruce Ranken led the motion at the council’s 17 December meeting, at which he declared “we need to cancel it”. “The majority of us sitting around this room tonight are voted in because the majority of us actually said that we would kill it,” he said. “We’re here tonight because the residents spoke, they voted for it.”
Ranken acknowledged that while such a scheme would garner revenue of $38 million over ten years, he noted that the Mornington Peninsula was the number one Victorian region for day trippers who spent an average of $728,000,000 per year. He added the “unintended consequences” of the trial meant beachgoers who did not want to pay for foreshore parking used street parking in front of shops or in church carparks stopping congregations from meeting.
Public safety was also a major concern, Ranken said. “Two of these parking areas are located on the Port Phillip side of the peninsula which could then possibly drive people to the other side, to the west, and down to the back beaches.” He said if the beaches weren’t patrolled by lifeguards it could lead to “dreadful consequences in the way of more drownings”.
The motion was passed 6-3 with Crs David Gill, Cam Williams, Andrea Allen, Bruce Ranken, Stephen Batty and Mayor Cr Anthony Marsh voting to put an end to paid parking. However, Crs Stephens, Binyon and Roper did not support the motion. Stephens said, “it’s just way too early in our term to be throwing this one out without looking at it”. “We’re not going to be able to consult the community on the results that were found.” Binyon said abolishing “paid parking is one thing” but “enforcement of people that are taking advantage of shopping centre car parks is also another”.
The previous council voted last September to defer any decision about paid parking along the foreshore to the new council. Marsh said he understood the apprehension of new councillors but noted “we’ve had plenty of time to get this right” after council had three and half years talking about it. “This is a money drain, not a money contributor. I spoke to hundreds, literally hundreds of people during the election,” he said. “I think there are issues about significant business and tourism impact.|
While Marsh did not rule out that a “better version” of the scheme could be sought in future, he added “for the next three years I don’t think that we should be spending money (that’s) not making money pursuing this project.”
First published in the Mornington News – 14 January 2025
