Clients of Melton’s Primary Medical and Dental Centre are outraged at new parking costs at the clinic.
Boom gates have gone up and parking fees have been introduced at the centre, making it the only place in the municipality charging for car parking.
Melton MP Don Nardella has slammed the move as “crook” and as posing potential danger to clients.
“My concerns are not only about charging for parking, which has been free forever, but the danger it poses,” Mr Nardella said.
He said clinic clients were parking across the road to avoid the fees and trying to walk over busy Station Road to get to the centre.
Mr Nardella said fees were particularly dangerous and unfair for pensioners, the disabled and parents with small children.
“I can’t understand why they’ve done this –are they that desperate for money?”
Patients have told Star Weekly that they will no longer use the centre and that the charges seem to contradict the philosophy of the popular bulk-billing service.
Former Melton mayor and clinic patient Bruce Rowan said the charges were a bad idea.
“Adding additional charges to an affordable doctors service concerns me,” he said.
Mr Rowan said he was worried about traffic issues that could arise when patients tried to back out on to Station Road after realising they had to pay for parking.
He said the Melton community he represented from 2004-08 was “dead against” parking charges.
Another clinic client, Dianne Simboro, said the charges would make it difficult for patients who were disabled or had young children.
“The clinic has promoted itself as bulk-billing, so that’s appealing to people who have a limited budget,” she said.
Melton council’s acting corporate services general manager, Ian Stewart, said the council was aware of the changes but had not issued a permit for the boom gates.
“Council will liaise with the operator to ensure compliance with the existing planning permit,” he said.
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“Alternatively, the operator can make an application to council to amend the permit.
“In regards to the parking charges, this is a commercial decision which is out of council’s control.”
Primary Medical and Dental Centre was contacted by Star Weekly for comment but did not respond before deadline.
