Parking in Moonee Valley
Facing up to our parking issues
The demand for parking permits is already greater than the number of parking spaces available in some parts of our city, yet our population and that of cities around Moonee Valley will continue to increase. This could lead to more traffic, congestion and parking pressures.
We had to find solutions to the issues we are experiencing now and find ways to prevent problems from happening in the future. This involves encouraging our community to use our available parking supply in the most efficient way, and to think about the way we travel.
We are working to make Moonee Valley more pleasant and safer for walkers and bike riders as well as advocating to the State Government and major transport providers for improved public transport across our city.
However, we have also had to take some bold measures to ensure that our limited parking resources could be shared fairly by all road users.
Our Parking Strategy
One way we are planning for this growth is through our Municipal Parking Strategy, adopted in late 2011 and last updated in June 2017.
The decisions in the Parking Strategy were not made lightly. We understand that many residents will find the changes tough, but we had to take action now to reduce the number of cars in our local area as the population continues to grow. All inner urban councils are faced with these challenges and are taking the same approach.
Items in the strategy include:
- New developments no longer get parking permits to park on the street. So if you are moving into the area you either need to purchase a place with parking or not own a car.
- Reducing the number of permits per household. In the past, in some areas of Moonee Valley, more permits were issues compared to available spaces. The new limits to parking permits came into effect on 1 November 2013.
- Being able to purchase a book of 10 temporary parking vouchers for visitors, parities or special occasions.
- A new hierarchy so we can consistently decide how our limited road space should be used and by whom.
- Permits being for an area rather than just one street to help spread demand.
Parking Permit Policy
The Parking Permit Policy (pdf, 6.7MB), adopted in May 2013 after community consultation throughout February-March, complements the Parking Strategy by providing more details on how to implement some of the measures adopted as part of the strategy. It was last updated in June 2017.
Paid parking
Council is working to implement paid parking at specific locations in Moonee Valley which are at the centre of car parking overloading. Council has also reviewed current paid parking on Alexandra Avenue, Moonee Ponds.
The aim of paid parking is to encourage people who are intending to visit the area for several hours to consider parking further away, leaving some spaces available for people who only need to stop and park for a short time.
Consultation with affected stakeholders will begin in February 2019.
Where is paid parking being introduced?
Some areas of:
- Eddy Street, Moonee Ponds
- Penny Lane, Moonee Ponds
- Moore Street, Moonee Ponds
- Mt Alexander Road, Moonee Ponds, on the east side along Queens Park
- The Boulevard, Moonee Ponds
- Matthews Avenue, Niddrie
- Treadwell Road, Niddrie
- Woodland Street, Essendon
View the map (pdf, 1.1MB) to see where the paid parking bays will be
What are the fees?
$1 per hour, capped at $10 between 6am and 10pm.
These fees are competitive with the existing, privately operated paid parking available in Moonee Valley.
What will the time limits be?
Time limits will be different for different locations.
Please check signage at the parking location.
I have a parking permit for the street that now has paid parking on it, do I have to pay to park in those spots?
Vehicles displaying valid residential parking permits will be exempt from fees in paid parking bays for their permit area.
Residential parking permits do not exempt payment in any location outside of their permit area.
Two hour time restricted paid parking applies in Alexandra Avenue, near the Moonee Ponds Junction between 6am and 10pm. Unrestricted paid parking will be available between 6am and 10pm at all other locations.
What are the changes for paid parking on Alexandra Avenue?
A review of this paid parking area shows that it is significantly underutilised.
The current parking area in Alexandra Avenue will be split in two with the section closest to the Moonee Ponds Junction offering time restricted two hours paid parking, and the rest offering all day paid parking.
Fees will be reduced to $1 an hour, capped at $10 for parking between 6am and 10pm.
Why is Council implementing paid parking in certain areas?
In some parts of Moonee Valley, the demand for parking is already greater than the publicly available parking, and this is only going to get worse as our population increases.
There is significant congestion caused by drivers travelling into Moonee Valley, particularly to park near public transport options.
By implementing paid parking in certain areas, our aim is to free up parking spaces for those who live and shop in the area.
We also want to encourage people to walk, ride or catch public transport, rather than drive.
How has Council chosen those parking spaces for paid parking?
Council appointed Phillip, Boyle & Associates (PBA) to assist with the review of paid parking in Moonee Valley.
The parking information gathered as part of Council’s ongoing Local Area Traffic Management program has been used to identify destinations where parking is clogged.
PBA developed a list of possible locations which was presented to Council and Council then decided on the most appropriate locations for paid parking.
Need more information?
Email council@mvcc.vic.gov.au or call 9243 8888.