Sunbury Residents Association has backed a new petition calling for more parking at the train station.
President Bernie O’Farrell said the association ‘strongly supported’ the petition, which has been slow to gain traction after its launch earlier this month, with just 36 signatures so far.
Mr O’Farrell believes a greater community effort is needed to solve the town’s longstanding parking problem.
“We support the calls for more parking in Sunbury 100 per cent, and we’re willing to reach out to those groups and work together in getting Hume council and the state government to provide more parking,” he said.
Sunbury train driver Stephen Coughlan, who will stand for Hume council in October, said the parking shortfall is one of his priorities.
“The station carpark starts to fill up by 7am, and the parking is absolutely chocka by 8am,” Mr Coughlan said.
“I’ve driven to Diggers Rest to look at the parking situation, and it’s almost as bad as at Sunbury now.
“I think the parking issues arose from parking being sold off to Sunbury Square, around 15 years ago.
“Now we have a shortage of all-day parking. Those carparks are now reserved for Sunbury Square permit-holders only, and a parking officer patrols the area,” he said.
Sunbury Business Association has pushed for $10 million from the state government’s park and ride program to fund two levels of a planned multi-level car park in Evans Street.
Mr Coughlan said a multi-level carpark could be a suitable solution and needs to be explored through discussions between the community, state government and the council.
One commuter, who posted to the online petition, said parking was of great concern to any new resident of the area.
“I’m building a house in Sunbury and will be catching the train at 7.30 each morning,” she said. “There are more and more developments going up.
“Council revenue must be increasing. What logical reason could there be not to address this issue? It’s only going to get worse.”
Hume councillor Jack Medcraft said a multi-storey car park had been earmarked for Sunbury in 2011, with developer Sunbury Central Pty Ltd and the government due to work with the council to deliver the project – but this was abandoned. He called for Sunbury parking plans to be revised.
Petition details: Click here
