In some parts of the Zone 2 parking area - the streets that fringe the core retail and commercial district of the city - fresh signs may already be in place as City of Ballarat Council pushes ahead with detailed new parking plans.

A Council spokesperson confirmed around 50 per cent of residents in the area had been consulted on its new Smarter Parking Plan and plans to put new signs in place were underway.

The first consultation went out to addresses on Lyons Street North at the end of April, allowing residents to respond to the proposed changes. They include a mix of timed and all-day free parking. Consultation was expected to take a few months with new signs to be in place across Zone 2 by the end of June.

Residents are also eligible for at least one free parking permit, with some qualifying for another depending on the household.

The Council confirmed parking enforcement officers would patrol the newly signed areas but would focus on "education" rather than enforcement for the first few weeks.

The spokesperson encouraged residents with any concerns to contact the Smarter Parking team (see parkingballarat.com for full details). The response had been positive so far, they said, with "minor changes" put in place where appropriate.

For the CBD, a contract to oversee new parking meters, licence plate recognition technology and a parking app is due to go out to tender shortly.

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