Councillors welcomed the Echuca CBD and Historic Port Precinct Parking Strategy, which will cover the three key areas in central Echuca, at a council meeting last month.
Under the action plan, council will investigate parking restrictions on Murray Esplanade and High St within the port to three hours so that staff usage is reduced and turn-over for visitors is increased.
It has also recommended parking costs in the High and Nish streets carparks be reviewed to increase usage, particularly by CBD staff. Council said a daily cap of three hour parking could be considered and/or issue permits to traders at low cost to get staff off residential streets in Landsborough St and into the off-street parks.
Lighting and surveillance of the Visitor Information Centre and Sturt St carparks have also been suggested to improve the safety of users in winter months, and council will also consider 15 minute parking restrictions at no cost in front of banks and the post office.
Mayor Adrian Weston said the strategy analysed the supply and demand within the central business district, the historic port precinct and health precinct. The strategy will be used in the assessment of planning applications for each of the areas which impact car parking.
“The new strategy will provide assistance to applicants at an early stage, as part of their planning application process,” Cr Weston said.
“It will ensure applicants have access to up-to-date information to support their application, allow assessment to be completed by staff and ensure the appropriate rate for any cash-in-lieu contribution be included as a planning permit condition.”
Echuca’s current car parking strategy was completed in 2008. The need for a new strategy was identified in completing the Echuca Commercial Strategy in 2017, recognising that Echuca’s population had significantly increased and a number of new developments had been completed.
The community was asked to input into the strategy through an online survey in April last year. It asked the community how existing car parking was used, and how it could be improved.
‘‘The strategy summarises this feedback, provides a response, and where justified, has the information included in the action plan,” Cr Weston said.
A planning scheme amendment will now be prepared, to incorporate the strategy as a reference document in the Campaspe Planning Scheme, and update the parking overlay schedule within the scheme.
‘‘The planning scheme amendment will be advertised, where the community will be given the opportunity to provide feedback or lodge a submission to the strategy,’’ Cr Weston said.
The strategy is available on council’s website.
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