A plan to implement restrictions on parking near Drouin Skatepark has been put on hold.
Baw Baw Shire councillor Jess Hamilton said she envisaged a snowball effect on the town's small businesses if all-day parking spaces were cut at the Young St carpark.
Instead, she urged restrictions be deferred until further information could be gathered.
Cr Ben Lucas agreed, concerned about the flow-on effect from such a change on a town already experiencing parking capacity.
Council endorsed parking changes in Drouin's central business district in mid-2023 after finalisation of the 2023 Drouin Parking Study.
Amongst the eight recommendations was converting 72 off-street parking bays at the Drouin Skatepark into four-hour spaces. In addition, it was proposed to convert four two-hour spaces into two disabled parking bays.
Cr Hamilton's general business motion requested an officer report outlining feasibility and impact of keeping parking unrestricted between Civic Park and Young St, adjacent to the Drouin Skate Park.
In replacement, she sought information on implementing four-hour restrictions on parking along the south-eastern side of Sinclair St, from Princes Way to Grant St.
The report request and deferring the parking changes were unanimously supported by councillors. The officer report is set to be received by March 26.
Cr Hamilton said the all-day parking was utilised by workers from council, McDonalds and the two supermarkets.
"If they don't have anywhere to go, they're going to spill out onto streets such as - in my opinion - Sinclair St," Cr Hamilton said. "Maybe potentially going further up onto where the bowls club is."
"If you're a Drouin resident, you know how terrible the parking is and just driving in Sinclair St is," she said. "If you go there at the busy school times, it's basically a one-way street. It's quite dangerous."
Cr Lucas said a report would benefit councillors who don't see and breathe the parking issues in Drouin every day.
"That carparking down at the skatepark is heavily utilised," Cr Lucas added. "I think the strategic place of that carpark is actually a good all-day solution."
He said the only other all-day parking near the bowls club in Princes Way was already at capacity.
News
Plan to change parking on hold
Feb 25 2025
1 min read
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