Visitors to Hobsons Bay will soon be required to pay for parking along the Esplanade as part of a proposal to introduce parking meters to Altona Beach which, is currently out for public feedback.
Similar to the paid parking at Williamstown Beach and Nelson Place, Hobsons Bay residents will be able to use their ticket machine parking permits along Altona Beach and will not need to pay for parking.
Mayor of Hobsons Bay Cr Peter Hemphill said Altona Beach is one of the most attractive and popular beaches in Melbourne’s west and the fees received from visitors paying for parking would be put back into the community.
“Over the past couple of years, we’ve invested in significant infrastructure along Altona Foreshore including access ramps, upgrading the shared trail, picnic shelters and revamping Weaver Reserve, to make Altona Beach more accessible, attractive and enjoyable,” said Cr Hemphill.
“By charging visitors for paid parking, we’re diversifying our revenue streams and sharing the infrastructure costs with visitors who come to Hobsons Bay for the beach and sport activities.”
The parking meters are proposed to be installed in Altona on the Esplanade between Sarros (Romawi) Street and Millers Road.
Three-hour time restrictions, between 8am to 8pm, will be introduced for the angled paid parking spaces along the Esplanade closest to Pier Street.
The two existing emergency services and three disabled parking spaces in the area are proposed to be retained.
Cr Peter Hemphill acknowledged the introduction of paid parking will have an impact on the way parking occurs in Altona near the beach and a Parking Management Strategy has been developed to manage the impact of the changes.
“We’ve analysed the parking behaviour during peak periods near Altona Beach and are proposing a range of parking changes to minimise beachgoers parking in residential streets and protect access to properties, as well as trading areas,” said Cr Hemphill.
“Timed parking restrictions are being introduced in nearby streets however, the restrictions do not apply to households with resident and visitor permits who do not need to adhere to the introduced time limits in their street or pay for parking.”
One-hour parking restrictions, which are exempt for resident and visitor permits, will apply to the residential streets close to Altona Beach including: Sarros Street, McBain Street, Sargood Street, Davies Street, Mount Street, Bayview Street and Seves Street.
Two-hour parking (9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am -12noon Sat) is proposed for Pier Street between the Esplanade and Queen Street, which matches other nearby restrictions on Pier Street.
To support local businesses, two 15-minute spaces, between 8am and 8pm, are proposed to be introduced at the southern end of Bent Street.
In addition, two-hour parking between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and, 9am to 12 noon on Saturday are proposed for Millers Road between the Esplanade and Queen Street, which matches restrictions on Pier Street near the commercial precinct.
The proposal to introduce paid parking along the Esplanade and the changes are outlined on the Proposed Parking Strategy are available to view on Participate Hobsons Bay and open for feedback until Wednesday 8 June 2022.
Feedback will help guide the future parking strategy for the Altona Beach area. To have your say, visit participate.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/parkingmanagementstrategy
During the busy summer periods, Council will encourage visitors to travel to Altona Beach via train or come by active transport along the Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail.
