Car parking letter to editor

Letter to editor: Time for CBD parking vision
16 September 2019

THE state government and Frankston Council removing boat ramp fees for boaties using trailers is a welcome boost for tourism and amateur fishing. The change, which will save Frankston boaties up to $15 a day in parking and launching fees at Kananook Creek and Olivers Hill ramps, is part of the state government’s $47 million to improve recreational boating including making all public ramps in Victoria fee-free.

However, it brings into stark focus the plight of Frankston’s CBD workers who can incur car parking charges of up to $13 a day. For low wage earners, $13 a day is almost 10 per cent of their pay packet.

We now call on the state government and Frankston Council to show similar vision in improving affordable all-day parking in Frankston’s CBD. As a start, build the promised multi-deck car park near the train station, rework the management of existing spaces, and commit to constructing the Frankston rail extension with the proposed 1000-space park and ride at Langwarrin.

CBD off-street parking costs rose markedly in the four years 2014-18 – by between 18 and 242 per cent. Shop vacancies are at their highest in living memory and the lack of affordable parking is now an economic issue, not a convenience issue. It’s time to fix the mismatch between parking supply and demand, with the most glaring shortage being all-day CBD car parking for workers, commuters and TAFE students.

Ginevra Hosking, CEO, Committee for Greater Frankston   

Media coverage: Boats free to launch
Frankston times, Brodie Cowburn, 16 September 2019

A DAY on the water will now be cheaper for boating enthusiasts in Frankston. Boat ramp fees were abolished at Kananook Creek and Olivers Hill last week. Boat ramp parking permits will no longer be issued and casual parking fees will be removed for people parking with boat trailers.

Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke said “by scrapping these fees, we’re ensuring more members of the Frankston community can get out on the water and wet a line.” Fishing and boating minister Jaala Pulford said “getting rid of parking and launching fees is a massive win for Victorian families, who can enjoy more affordable boating and fishing this season.”

The state government promised to abolish boat ramp fees statewide in the leadup to the state election in November last year. At Frankston Council’s 2 September meeting, councillors voted unanimously to “revoke all boat launching fees previously adopted as operation – foreshore reserve maintenance in its 2019-2020 fees and charges (…) subject to reimbursement of income from Better Boating Victoria, authorise the Chief Executive Officer to execute the funding agreement with Better Boating Victoria for ongoing reimbursement to council for loss of income in relation to removal of fees at boat ramps, and authorise officers to make pro-rata refunds to existing permit holders for the unused component of their current 2018/2019 permit.”

The mayor Michael O’Reilly said “council is pleased to have made this decision to support the removal of boat ramp parking fees in time for snapper season, which is always a very popular time at our local boat ramps.”

After announcing fees had been abolished in Frankston, Ms Pulford asked for Kingston Council to work with the state government to abolish boat ramp fees at Mordialloc.  She said that Mordialloc and Queenscliff were the only public boat ramps in the state which still charge parking and launching fees. Ms Pulford said she called on “the City of Kingston to work with government to remove fees as soon as possible”. “We want the Borough of Queenscliffe and the City of Kingston to join the party because we know boaters and anglers want to launch into a fee free spring,” she said. First published in the Frankston Times – 16 September 2019