Minutes of the Special Meeting of the Greater Geelong City Council held at the Council Conference and Reception at City Hall, 57 Little Malop Street, Geelong on 4 July 2019, commencing at 7:00pm.
Robert Menaul
Yun Chen
Craig Seite
Councillors:
B Harwood (Mayor)
A Aitken
S Asher
K Grzybek
E Kontelj
J Mason
P Murrihy
R Nelson
T Sullivan
M Cutter (Chief Executive Officer)
B Luxford Director Investment & Attraction)
G Smith (Director Planning and Development)
G Wilson-Browne (Director City Services)
M Dugina (Director Finance & Strategy)
R Stevens (Director Community Life)
K Phyland (Executive Manager People and Culture)
R Leonard (Acting Director Governance, Strategy and Performance)
The Chair declared the meeting open at 7:00pm.
The matter is urgently required to consider the reversal of the significant increase in on-street all-day car parking fees imposed as of 1 July 2019.
Council acknowledged Wadawurrung Traditional Owners of this land and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People who are part of the Greater Geelong community today.
Councillors:
S Mansfield
P Murnane
Nil.
Robert Menaul addressed the Council as follows:
A number of Councils are using paperless systems, but do not collect number plate data. This data is not necessary for basic parking, and misuse of this data is both likely and potentially dangerous?
Councillor Harwood responded that as a Clever and Creative City of Design, and we are moving into the 21st century, this sort of technology is being used globally - but as eluded to there are downsides when misused.
Gareth Smith added local government collects information in various shapes or forms from rate notices and the like, but we are bound like all local, state and federal governments by privacy laws.
The information Council collects can only be used for the purposes collected.
Yun Chen asked:
I’ve noticed that a majority of carparking fees around the CBD area have increased nearly double, I am wondering how is this price been set up?
To what extent do you think it is affordable for the future residents of Geelong, permanent and temporary?
Gareth Smith responded there are various prices around the CBD for parking and different options.
Free parking is provided on the outer fringes of the CBD and Council also provides a park and ride service as does Deakin University.
There are various structures offered from free to $13 a day.
Craig Seite asked why the carparking increase? Where will the extended profit go? What is going to be done about Malop Street?
Gareth Smith responded in relation to the parking increase from $5.80 to $13 the key reason that actually came about was that the City also provides off street parking which increased from $10.80 to $13.
Council’s fees and charges policy actually looks at consistency on fees so if the City is providing off street parking at $13 and have an on street at a different rate it is not consistent and that’s how the increase has come about.
The reason we are here tonight, however, is about the process, lack of consultation and the communication of these increases.
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