Ballarat City Council defended its investigation of the technology after residents questioned council over its potential use for tracking cars overstaying time limits.

A motion to apply for federal government funding to help develop the technology was presented to council’s ordinary meeting on Wednesday night.

Council infrastructure and environment director Terry Demeo said it was an opportunity to use the existing smart meter network in Ballarat to provide information on parking to ratepayers.

“If it was available on smart phones, we could get much better utilisation (of car parking),” he said.

“It is as much, if not more, about providing information to the public rather than an income source.

“Smart meter is about the power meter, it is about the network and leveraging that opportunity, there is certainly no decision around the costs or extension of council’s parking meters.”

The new technology would potentially track available car parks in the central business district and provide that information to the motorists through a public smart phone app.

However Cr Amy Johnson voted against the motion because it would not create new parking.

“I wonder if it will reveal most of those car parks are full most of the time,” she said.

“I wonder whether we are looking in the right area for some of our CBD parking issues.”

Cr Johnson and Cr Mark Harris both voted against the motion, which was passed 7-2.

Cr Daniel Moloney told The Courier on Sunday there was a need for Ballarat to change the way it approached parking in its CBD.

However he said workers had to be taken into account before any change was made.

Council chief executive Justine Linley said council would be able to decline the government grant even if it was awarded.