We thank council for the opportunity to provide feedback on Item 8.2. Notice of Motion No.13 of 2026 – Review of Paid Parking Introduction in Victoria Park Precinct.
Our feedback is that instead of deferring the introduction of paid parking, it would be better to convert the introduction into a trial of new parking management technologies, including exemptions for permit holders, and limits on the number of all-day tickets sold in each street. Such a trial would strengthen the upcoming Kerbside and Parking Management Strategy, expected to be released for community feedback in early 2027.
Context
On 14 April 2026 council endorsed the draft 2026-27 Budget for community engagement. The officer report accompanying the budget included notification of changes to parking in the Victoria Park precinct. On 16 June 2026 council adopted the 2026-27 Budget. Again, the officer report accompanying the budget included notification of changes to parking in the Victoria Park precinct. Now, it appears that council wishes to review that part of the adopted budget.
Existing conditions
Streets Alive Yarra’s parking map shows the current parking restrictions in the Victoria Park precinct, which can be summarised as:
- 4P at the kerbs abutting Victoria Park
- 07:30 – 17:30 Monday to Sunday, with some short stay controls at the west end of Abbot Street
- 4P on the west side of Lulie Street (adjacent to the train line)
- 07:30 – 17:30 Monday to Sunday
- Permit Only zone on the other side of residential streets (Abbott, Bath, Turner)
- East side of Trennery Crescent, no controls
Parking is occupied all-day by commuters
The problem is that commuters are occupying most of the 4P bays, in contravention of the time limit, by setting a timer and moving their cars. Occupying bays all-day acts to reduce access for other people, such as visitors or shoppers, who need short-term (e.g. 2P) parking.
Parking problems will get worse over time
Owing to housing targets imposed by the state government, Yarra is expected to double its population by 2050, which will increase the demand for on-street parking, for visitors, shoppers, and residents.
Without significant reform to how we manage on-street parking, difficulties in finding a vacant bay are only going to get worse. It can take a long time to roll out parking reform across a municipality, which means we need to start now, including the testing or trialling of any new required technologies.
The introduction of paid parking to the Victoria Park precinct is an opportunity to test a new approach.
Proposal to introduce paid parking
Council had intended to introduce ‘pay by app’ to the parking bays marked in green. Based on satellite photos, our estimate of the number of affected parking bays is 255:
- Lulie Street (west side): 130
- Bath Street (west side): 28
- Turner Street (north side): 70
- Abbott Street (south side): 27
How parking reform can help residents
Parking reform can help residents by restricting how many parking spaces are occupied all-day by commuters.
To achieve this, we need a better, simpler method of enforcement that can’t be easily defeated by setting a timer and moving a car.
We suggest that the solution is to implement metered parking zones that require commuters to purchase an all-day ticket that is linked to their vehicle’s number plate. That way, the number of all-day tickets sold each day can be limited, and parking inspectors can easily identify any vehicle without a valid ticket, simply by scanning number plates.
Accompanying this reform, we need metered parking zones to have an exemption for resident and visitor parking permits (i.e. for properties located in or close to that zone) as described in the NSW Permit Parking Guidelines.
Suggestion for a trial at Victoria Park
Council is expected to endorse a draft Kerbside and Parking Management Strategy for community feedback in early 2027. That strategy would be strengthened if Council had already demonstrated the ability to manage the numbers of commuters parking on or near residential streets. We suggest that the Victoria Park precinct would be an ideal location for a trial of our proposed reforms.
A trial at Victoria Park could be entail the following:
- changing 4P zones to Meter zones, with permit holders excepted
- limiting the number of ‘all-day’ tickets sold in each street
- monitoring the occupancy (both day and night) of each street to confirm that permit holders are able to find a park, and adjusting the sales limits accordingly
- monitoring how quickly the ‘all-day’ tickets sell out in each zone, and adjusting the price accordingly, so they rarely sell out
Expected outcomes
If Council resolves to test a future-proof parking management method in the Victoria Park precinct, we expect that the outcomes will be:
- residents (using permits) will be able to find a park
- shoppers (using ‘2P’ tickets) will be able to find a park
- commuters (willing to pay for an ‘all-day’ ticket) will be able to find a park
Also, the market clearing price for all-day parking will become visible. For example, if council starts off by offering all-day parking for $20, and finds that uptake is very low, then the price can be reduced until all the all-day tickets occasionally sell-out.
Bonus for local residents
In addition, as a bonus for local residents, any additional revenue derived from the expansion of paid parking could be set aside (or hypothecated) for reinvestment (capital expenditure) in the neighbourhood (Abbotsford), e.g. to improve footpaths, install wombat crossings, build kerb outstands, or plant street trees.
For example, if ⅔ of the estimated 255 bays were used by commuters for 250 days per year, paying $20 per day, the revenue would be $850,000 per year, which is equivalent to $2,000 of rates revenue per household from over 400 households.
In comparison, we estimate that there are fewer than 100 households along the boundary of Victoria Park, so it’s reasonable to conclude that the opportunity for revenue from paid parking around Victoria Park is greater than the revenue derived from rates from the properties around Victoria Park.
Bonus for all residents
If the trial is successful, i.e. residents see that they are able to find a park, we expect that council will be able to roll the system out across the municipality, as part of the Kerbside and Parking Management Strategy.
If council does resolve to do so, it would deliver improved access for people who need to drive and park, while simultaneously deriving revenue from commuters who need to park all-day.
For example, if council’s parking management system limited sales of all-day tickets to just ⅓ of Yarra’s 47,000 parking bays, and we only considered sales for 250 days per year, using council’s newly adopted price of $20 per day for each ticket, then the revenue would be $78 million per year (1/3 x 47,000 x 250 x $20 = $78 million). If the market clearing price was closer to the price of an all-day public transport ticket (Myki daily fare, $11.40) then the revenue would be closer to $44 million per year.
This is a non-trivial sum, it’s financially irresponsible to ignore it.