By Laura Michell
A Melton business owner is calling for Melton council to stop issuing parking fines on High Street until it addresses the parking shortage in the area.
Hayden Legro, principal lawyer at Hayden Legro Lawyers, is fed up with the parking shortage in the High Street business precinct brought on by council work to improve Wallace Square and Bakery Square.
Mr Legro said the beautification works, which began in mid-May, have resulted in the loss of 150 parking spaces.
He said the shortage had resulted in his staff and the owners and staff of neighbouring businesses being forced to park in two-hour spaces in a service lane or in all-day spaces that were a long walk from their offices and workplaces.
“[We] have no option, given the lack of alternative carparking in the business district generally, but to run the gauntlet and change car parks two and three times a day on shortened parking time limits,” he said.
“Some employees and business owners I know have copped four to five fines in some weeks. A number of business owners have expressed concerns about the safety of female employees having to walk long distances to and from back streets to their place of work, particularly at night in winter.”
Mr Legro said it was unfair to issue parking fines to people affected by the works.
“It is behoving on council to act fairly and reasonably in respect of fining people disadvantaged by council’s own works and I ask council to cease fining people in the High Street precinct until the works are completed,” he said.
“The business parking shortage, which has been growing for some years without being addressed, must now be dealt with. I have not been made aware of any plans of council for improved business parking for the High Street business precinct.”
Melton council did not respond by deadline.
