THE loss of 39 car parking spaces in Graham Street, as part of the implementation of the Wonthaggi Activity Centre Streetscape Master Plan, is too many.

That’s the view of lifetime Wonthaggi resident, Cr Brett Tessari, who has apologised to his council colleagues for having an “11th hour rethink” on the impact of the plan.

“Look, I’m not having a go at the plan, I think it’s a very, very good plan. The work has been extremely well done,” said Cr Tessari.

“I just thought we needed a bit more time.

“I love the idea of trees in Graham Street, but I think we need to review how many trees we want and how many car parking spaces we are prepared to lose to accommodate them,” he told the Sentinel-Times this week.

“Honestly, I think 39 is too many.”

With the support of three of his fellow councillors, Crs Kent, Hallstead and Bauer; Cr Tessari successfully moved an alternate motion to adopting the streetscape plan outright.

Although there’s no material change in the number of trees to be added in Graham Street or the number of car spaces lost, Council has agreed to implement the program of works in two stages, allowing time for a reassessment of the Graham Street beautification works.

“Talking to some of the traders this week, I think what came out of it is that some of us Wonthaggites need reconsider what it means to live in a growing town, and maybe, we can’t always expect to park outside the shop or café we want to visit.

“I think the plan is great, and we’ve got to be thinking of the big picture with the growth of Wonthaggi but if we can adjust the number of spaces lost in Graham Street, I believe we’ll still get the effect we want.”

Cr Tessari acknowledged that he’d probably “blindsided” some of his fellow councillors and shire officers, and that it probably wasn’t good governance to spring an amendment on council at the last moment, but that it was prudent to have a reassessment.

“As Cr Laing said, the plan provides for a net-gain of one parking space across the CBD, most of them with the introduction of angled parking in Watt Street, (between McBride Avenue and McKenzie Street +39) and in McKenzie Street (between Graham and Watt +20), but we can’t afford to lose that many spaces in Graham Street.”

Parking strategy prominent

The provision of parking in the Wonthaggi business area is a key part of the Wonthaggi Activity Centre Streetscape implementation plan, as is on-going consultation with the business community:

“Consultation and engagement with the community and traders should be undertaken to inform subsequent planning, detail design, construction and ongoing maintenance works projects.

“It is recommended that where existing on-street car parking is being removed for the introduction of street trees, pedestrian crossings or other infrastructure upgrades that the loss is offset with the implementation of on-street car parking elsewhere within the study area to ensure there is no net loss of car parking within the Wonthaggi Activity Centre.”

Some parking changes

Specifically, some of the parking initiatives include:

• Graham Street: Car Parking Spaces McKenzie Street to Billson Street (141 existing, 100 proposed).
• Graham Street: Some reduction in car parks will be required to allow for garden bed outstands with street trees for shading and create street interest. The car parks lost in this section are gained in the formalised car parking along Watt Street.
• Graham Street: Reconfigure parking bays along stretch with the addition of garden bed outstands with feature trees and understorey planting.
• Graham Street: Install wheel stops to existing angled car parking along Graham Street
• Watt Street: Car Parking Spaces Watt Street East (27 existing, 66 proposed).
• Watt Street: Reduce carriageway width of stretch to accommodate on-street car parking bays.
• Watt Street: Introduce new 45° angled car parking bays along the entire stretch of the street.
• Watt Street: Reinstate nature strip with street tree and angled car parking bays in front of former fire station driveway.
• McKenzie Street: Formalise 45° angled car parking along McKenzie Street between Graham Street and Watt Street (13 existing, 33 proposed).
• Billson Street: Car parking spaces Billson Street (75 existing, 82 proposed)
• Billson Street: Formalise 45° angled car parking along the southern side of Billson Street to gain car parks.
• Billson Street: Garden bed outstands to replace some car parking spaces on street.