Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has voted to conclude the current Pilot while deferring a final decision on the future of permanent Visitor Paid Parking.
The decision to defer, made on 3 September 2024, follows a thorough evaluation of seven months of data from the Pilot at Flinders Pier, Schnapper Point (Mornington), and Sunnyside Beach (Mt Eliza) foreshore sites.
At 8pm Saturday 14 September 2024, the Pilot will conclude at all three sites. Following this, all related infrastructure and signage will be removed, parking will revert to free for everyone, and ePermits will no longer be required for residents. Timing restrictions will remain.
Launched on 1 December 2023, the Pilot introduced a fee of $6.20 per hour (capped at $19.50) for non-residents, while residents used a free ePermit system. It aimed to test the concept and technology on a smaller scale.
While the Pilot met its financial goals, feedback highlighted areas needing improvement, including the ePermit system, payment options and support for coastal dependent businesses.
Visitor Paid Parking is being considered to ensure residents and visitors can continue to share our foreshores while more fairly distributing the cost of maintaining them.
A detailed discussion on the future of Visitor Paid Parking will be revisited by the incoming Council in the New Year. In the meantime, officers will start a comprehensive policy and framework to guide foreshore parking management, which will include a robust community engagement process.
