Battle for more parking

Battle for more parking

Docklands Community Association president Roger Gardner has taken up the fight for more parking in Docklands.

Mr Gardner says trends towards less parking in residential developments is only making existing problems worse.

One of Docklands’ latest apartment developments, Serrata in Bourke St, Victoria Harbour has more than twice as many apartments as parking spaces.

“Plans to further slash car spaces in apartment blocks may please developers and environmentalists and encourage use of public transport, but it is of no help,” Mr Gardner said. “It is detrimental for resident, commercial or visitor parking and access.”

“Many high-rise apartment buildings provide no visitor parking at all and apparently the latest idea is to provide none for residents either. Of course there already is totally inadequate on-street parking,” Mr Gardner said.  

“Open-air, off-street parking is available only as long as the land is not built on, and as such, is progressively diminishing.”

“The nearest under-cover parking can be a good distance away with no cover when walking. There is likely to be more traffic congestion, not less.”

“How are restaurants and retailers supposed to survive with this?  Are parents, grandparents, visitors or anybody else expected to take public transport, often with one or more transit changes, especially in cold weather?”

“Are visitors expected to trudge through open areas in bad weather to get to a restaurant?”

“I also believe there will be no off-street parking provided for our new community centre.”

“I suggest the plan needs reconsidering in order to take more account of practicalities. Perhaps some of the vacant land left should be permanently reserved for car parking before it’s too late.”

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