Mornington Peninsula Shire Council is considering a trial of paid parking for visitors to its popular foreshore areas.
More than 7.5 million people visit the Mornington Peninsula region every year.
Currently, ratepayers are paying around $8 million annually for the maintenance of foreshore-related Council infrastructure on the Mornington Peninsula, such as car parks, public toilets and access paths.
To better manage the high demand for limited foreshore parking and to help maintain the necessary infrastructure, Council is considering a Visitor Paid Parking Pilot.
On 30 May, Council will vote on whether to go ahead with the pilot scheme that will see visitors charged for parking at three popular foreshore locations.
“While Council is yet to vote on the implementation of a Visitor Paid Parking Pilot, if approved, the Pilot would test a ‘user pays’ system for visitors to contribute to the cost of maintaining foreshore infrastructure,” said Mayor, Steve Holland.
“With the cost of maintaining our foreshore infrastructure at around $8 million per year, this would be a fairer system that would provide more equitable access to our prized beaches through vehicle turnover.”
If successful, Mayor Holland said Council would consider rolling out the system to other Council-managed foreshore car parks.
“A decision to go ahead with the Pilot would also trigger extensive engagement with our community to help shape some of the details of the project and to hear feedback on the impact of the Pilot,” he said.
Council confirmed it has no intention to introduce paid parking for Mornington Peninsula Shire residents.
The three locations under consideration for a Pilot are:
- Schnapper Point foreshore carpark, Mornington;
- Sunnyside North beach foreshore carpark, Mount Eliza;
- Flinders pier foreshore carpark, Flinders.
If endorsed, the Pilot will enable Council to test parking rules, trial new technology and assess the impacts to each area. It will allow the collection of real-life data and community feedback to evaluate outcomes.
Council says revenue generated by any Pilot would be reinvested back into the community and used to fund foreshore related infrastructure and services, such as better foreshore access, trails and footpaths, parking and amenities such as public toilets and rubbish collection.
