Mornington Peninsula Shire will next week vote on a trial of paid foreshore parking for visitors in a bid to recoup maintenance costs and ease the pressure on limited parking spaces. In a statement today, the shire said more than 7.5 million visitors a year were increasing the pressure on the Peninsula’s foreshore areas, with ratepayers paying about $8 million year to maintain council foreshore infrastructure such as car parks, public toilets and access paths.
Next Tuesday (May 30) the council will vote on whether to go ahead with a pilot that would see Peninsula visitors pay for parking at three foreshore car parks: Schnapper Point in Mornington, Sunnyside North Beach in Mount Eliza, and Flinders Pier, pictured. The shire said it had “no intention” of introducing paid parking for shire residents.
“This is an opportunity for residents and visitors to continue to share our foreshores while more fairly distributing the costs of maintaining these areas,” the shire said. “If endorsed, the pilot will enable us to test parking rules, trial new technology and assess the impacts to each area. It will allow the collection of real-life data and community feedback to evaluate outcomes.
“Revenue generated by any pilot would be reinvested back into the community and used to fund foreshore-related infrastructure and services, such as better foreshore access, trails and footpaths, parking, and amenities such as public toilets and rubbish collection.”
Mayor Steve Holland said that, if approved, the pilot would test a user-pays system for visitors to contribute to the cost of maintaining foreshore infrastructure. “Many thousands of visitors come to the Peninsula to enjoy our beaches,” Cr Holland said. “They shop, buy food and drinks, and provide a huge boost to the local economy. But it also causes significant parking congestion at our foreshores. With the cost of maintaining our foreshore infrastructure at around $8 million per year, this would be a fairer system that would provide more equitable access to our prized beaches through vehicle turnover. If successful, we would consider rolling out the system to other council-managed foreshore car parks.
“A decision to go ahead with the pilot would also trigger extensive engagement with our community to help shape some of the details of the project and to hear feedback on the impact of the pilot.”
Recent Comments