Yarra Ranges Council is set to increase enforcement of existing parking restrictions across the municipality from January 2024 to enhance traffic flow and parking for residents, traders and visitors.
The move comes after local community and business feedback suggested that many vehicles have been overstaying the time limits specified in certain areas, particularly tourist hotspots, during busier times of the year such as weekends or holiday periods.
Yarra Ranges Mayor Councillor Sophie Todorov said that the increased enforcement in time restricted areas during the summer months would help free up parking within the town for residents and visitors alike and will enhance traffic flow.
“When we’ve spoken to residents and business owners across the municipality there has been a growing concern around the number of people not moving on from timed parking areas, which creates frustration.”
“By increasing our enforcement in the area, this should create more traffic flow and enhance opportunities for local businesses, while also creating more equitable usage of our community facilities,” Cr Todorov said.
Along with increased enforcement officers, cameras will also be used to monitor parking in restricted time spaces across the municipality.
“Given we have 2,500km to patrol, we will be using cameras mounted in Yarra Ranges branded vehicles. This means we will increase our efficiency especially in those particularly busy locations especially during the summer months.
“We have already conducted audits on traffic and parking movements in key locations and the cameras will be able to provide us with further insights as we investigate future changes for parking restrictions going into 2024.
“Parking is often an emotive issue, and it can be very difficult to get the balance right and so we’ll be working closely with local businesses during this time to ensure that they make their staff aware of the increased enforcement in the area and that they understand where they can park.
“In 2024 we will be coming out to the community to engage on a Parking Framework so keep an eye out on that in the new year,” said Cr Todorov.
