A parking review has yielded recommendations for minor changes across Ballarat’s central business district and hospital precinct, but significant alterations are slated for Webster Street.
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Proposed precinct changes, included increasing the amount of all day and four hour parking on Webster St, will be considered by Ballarat City Council at an ordinary council meeting on Wednesday.
City of Ballarat officers have indicated in a report tabled for the meeting that areas of two and three hour parking are under-utilised, with changes to alleviate “the volume of workers impacting on the nearby streets”.
The street has 33 different timed parking segments, with 19 slated to transition to four hour or all day parking under the new proposal.
According to graphs compiled by council officers, segments of Dawson, Mill and Windermere streets reached close to or hit full capacity multiple times between October and November.
A review of Ballarat’s 110 city parking precincts was submitted to Council in December following the creation of large swathes of restricted parking spaces between May through to July.
Council was set to vote on approving changes and accepting the review to its parking plan for Webster Street at its ordinary meeting on December 13.
But they voted to defer a decision, after residents in nearby streets voiced their concern that the changes had shifting parking into their previously quiet streets as motorists look for free, all-day parking options.
Seventy-three submissions were made during the review period, many from residents near the hospital precinct, Webster Street and around Lake Wendouree.
Many of the homes near the Webster Street precinct are in heritage overlays and have limited or no parking on their properties.
Ballarat Mayor Samantha McIntosh said the parking situation had changed significantly over the last 10 years.
READ MORE: $5.6m cash splash to fix city's parking pain
She said City of Ballarat is currently investigating private parking opportunities on Creswick Road to alleviate CBD parking pressure, but parking spaces around the hospital precinct would continue to be altered from time to time by officers as problems arose.
“We need to response to the needs of the visitors, patients and users of the hospital, including staff,” Cr McIntosh said.
“But at the same time, we need to get the balance right and make sure we get the right outcome for residents.”
