Push for car parking boost

By Callan Date
A MOVE to provide more car parking near the congested Webb Street shopping precinct is being pushed by key business figures in Narre Warren.
Narre Warren Chamber of Commerce members believe a vacant block of Casey Council owned land should be turned into a car park that could accommodate about 200 vehicles.
The land, at the corner of Austin Avenue and Webb Street, is situated only metres from where train commuters are parking their cars illegally due to a lack of space.
Bollards have been installed to stop people parking on the unused site.
Chamber president Bob Burns said the area was in desperate need of extra car parking space for both train commuters and shoppers.
He said the extra car park would also help alleviate the gridlock traffic conditions that occurred every night from about 5pm to 7pm.
“When the boom gates are down and people are trying to exit the current car parks, the traffic is banked up for hours,” he said.
Mr Burns said if the Austin Avenue land was opened up for parking it would allow Hampton Park train travellers to avoid the boom gates.
“You get all the people heading home to Hampton Park caught up in the traffic. If this land was used for car parking they wouldn’t have to cross the railway line,” he said.
The plan sounds good, however, Casey Council need to come to the party.
Casey CEO Mike Tyler said the land was purchased to help facilitate the long-term potential development options for the Narre Warren Shopping Centre.
He said the land previously housed an old railway building and was left vacant when it was demolished earlier this year.
The land would not be used to create additional car parking for train commuters.
“That is the responsibility of the State Government,” he said.
“The State Government has recently announced the acquisition of property in the vicinity of the Hallam Station for additional car parking, and the possibility exists for it to do likewise at Narre Warren.”
Mr Tyler said using the land for car parking on an interim basis would be inappropriate and would prejudice its later use.
“Ad hoc use for car parking purposes on land not suitable would also expose council to liability in the event of an incident on its land,” he said.