Since our editorial in last week’s edition, The Adviser has conducted an online poll to gauge public opinion on paid parking and whether the Greater Shepparton City Council should continue the complimentary parking in the CBD.
The over whelming response is yes, it should be continued. At the time of preparing this article, 221 people had responded, 199 (90.05 percent) of them saying yes to the question, ‘Should complementary parking be extended all year in Shepparton CBD’, 22 (9.95 percent) voted against.
Although the question is to be considered by Council, the decision is some months away.
First, the Council will be looking at the available data, the loss of revenue and possibly their own conducted survey of traders and consumers.
In addition, the Shepparton Chamber of Commerce and Industry will be conducting a survey as well in support of their advocacy for a continuation.
But is the loss of Council revenue a valid consideration? The purpose of the CBD is largely to serve the needs of the commercial residents that inhabit the region, in their absence, it becomes just another under-utilised public space.
On any day, a casual observer can only notice the lack of foot traffic, the number of vacant shops and buildings and the lack of general activity that might be expected in such a region.
Finding a car park is not a problem such that it needs such vigilant policing. Hundreds of on-street and off-street carparks are available daily, even in what might be considered peak times. It is when it takes twenty minutes to find a park that you might consider alternative measures.
The CBD is on life support, parking fees are a tax on the oxygen that is keeping it alive.
Council needs to take urgent action to address the need for building up the activity in the CBD and the first point to address is the elimination of parking fees, and to ensure that timed parking is maintained to keep available parking spaces flowing.
