By Charlene Gatt
FOOTSCRAY traders will take to the streets this weekend to celebrate the end of the Footscray parking cameras.
The Footscray Traders Association and the Footscray Asian Business Association are throwing a party along Nicholson St Mall this Saturday from 2pm.
Maribyrnong City Council will turn off the parking cameras and remove all camera infrastructure today after voting to switch them off a fortnight ago.
The cameras have detected more than 55,000 parking offences since being installed in April 2009.
Each offence incurred fines of either $72 or $119, meaning the council could have raked in anywhere between $3.96 million and $6.54 million in revenue.
A joint statement by the FTA and FABA commended the council “for finally moving to reverse this universally unpopular and counterproductive initiative”.
“This is a solid first step in the right direction,” the statement read.
The council will now consult with traders and the community about a proposed expansion of paid parking across Footscray’s CBD, with a report on the matter tabled at the May council meeting.
The council’s parking and local laws manager Tom Gladwin told Star the council would also employ another four parking officers as soon as possible to enforce parking laws.
Mr Gladwin said the parking officers would be dispatched primarily within Footscray’s CBD, adding to the nine parking officers the council already employs.
Mr Gladwin would not reveal how much the parking officers would be paid, saying only they would be paid in accordance with the appropriate award and the council’s EBA.
