By Charlene Gatt
THE Footscray Traders Association has told Maribyrnong City Councillor Janet Rice it will cause an uproar if the council rolls out an extra 30 ticket machines in the CBD without further consultation.
At an urgent meeting last week, the traders voted unanimously to enter into talks over the issue, and asked Cr Rice to take the message to the council.
Longer parking periods, staff permits and a trial process are likely to be key measures discussed.
The meeting was called after the council last month voted to install 21 on-street and nine off-street ticket machines to accelerate the turnover of vehicles parking in the area.
The machines were due to be delivered and installed this week under the council’s original plans.
The council planned to start charging parkers in the middle of next month.
The parking fees in Footscray’s central activity district are now capped at a maximum charge of $1 an hour until the end of the 2008/09 financial year.
Traders were primarily concerned that the machines would make retail giant Highpoint a more attractive option and were also worried that the one and two-hour time restrictions were not sufficient time for customers to go about their business.
New FTA president Lidia Cammarano said it was important to give customers time to shop at their leisure.
“Why pay to park in one retail district when you can drive five minutes up the road and park free and unrestricted?” he asked.
One trader, who previously owned a store in another suburb with parking machines, said his staff would constantly look out the window for parking inspectors and copped a couple of parking infringements a month.
He said the machines caused a higher turnover of staff.
Fiona McDonnell, who owns Minuteman Press in Barkley St, said Williamstown traders recorded a huge reduction in sales when ticket machines were introduced on Nelson Place.
Traders had told her their Sunday takings had dropped from $4000 to $1000. They are campaigning to have them revoked.
Ms McDonnell asked Cr Rice if the council would consider removing the new machines if after a trial they were found to be detrimental to business.
“It would be irresponsible of us not to review it,” Cr Rice replied.
Cr Rice said while the council knew the machines would be a controversial decision, it still believed it was the right one.
“I know that’s a hard thing to accept … but there’s not a lot of competition between Footscray and Highpoint.
“If people want to drive and shop at Highpoint, they’re already there.”
Cr Rice acknowledged the machines were not the only answer to fix Footscray’s parking problems.
But it’s not only the FTA concerned with the decision.
When Star spoke to the Footscray Business Association (FABA) last month, spokesman Benny Binh Van Le said he feared customers would favour neighbouring suburbs such as Maidstone, Sunshine and St Albans, where street parking was still free.
“We can’t compete – all the other areas around have a lot of free parking, so why would people come to Footscray?” he said.
