A total of 262 - 2P car spaces in the Warrnambool city centre will be free until 11am each weekday as Council adjusts its free parking initiative in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
From July 20, parking will be free in the 2P spaces in Ozone, Parkers and Cramond and Dickson off-street car parks until 11am each weekday.
These carparks contain a mix of timed and all-day parking spaces, and it's important to note that free parking until 11am only applies to the signed 2P spaces.
This initiative will be in place until January 31, 2021.
The pre-COVID parking arrangements will resume in all other areas, with people able to pay for parking either by using a parking meter or via the free CellOPark smartphone app.
"Free time-limited parking across the city centre was introduced in March and I feel it was a successful initiative appreciated by businesses and the community during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic so far," Warrnambool Mayor Tony Herbert said.
"As the CBD has gotten busier, feedback from a number of businesses has been that they'd like to see measures taken to encourage more parking turnover, with many people overstaying the time limits and parking for long periods.
"Council officers have been patrolling and enforcing time limits in the CBD, however these patrols are much more resource intensive and cannot be done as quickly as those undertaken in a metered environment.
"There is still a desire to offer some form of free parking, but Council didn't feel that citywide free parking was the best solution at this stage.
"I think this new offering will create opportunities for our residents to use those quieter times of the day to run their errands and even have time to grab a coffee without having to worry about paying for parking.
"Council again is doing its best to strike a balance between support for traders and shoppers during the pandemic, and encouraging our community to buy local and support our businesses.
"If the COVID-19 situation changes dramatically, we have the option to have another look at our free parking offerings and change things as needed.
"Additionally, as has been the case for a number of months now, we'd encourage everyone to take responsibility for their own hand hygiene and physical distancing when out and about."
Free parking in all off-street car parks is also free on weekends, as has been the case for many years.
