Parking in CBD not so easy for some

Access to parking in Wangaratta's CBD and exploration about what free parking might look like remain key concerns for a local business owner following a report from the city's mayor last week. Mayor Irene Grant verbally reported to council addressing the controversy over the mandatory use of the EasyPark app to pay for parking in the CBD. She also noted that without parking revenue, council would "either increase rates, reduce services, or introduce levies across the CBD” to compensate for the lost income. The necessity of paid parking is tied to a contract signed in 2012 that locked council into the construction and ongoing overheads connected to the three-tier Co-store carpark, with the liability ending in 2034. “While CBD-wide free parking may seem appealing, it’s important to consider the broader impact," Cr Grant said. "Without this revenue, we’d be forced to consider other options to fill this income gap." Wangaratta Jewellers owner Matthew Barry said the assertion that residents would see a loss of services without paid parking was "fear mongering" by council instead of saying 'let's try and work this out'. "Perhaps free parking isn't feasible, maybe, but you've got to take the people with you and say if you want free parking this is what it would look like," Mr Barry said. He strongly believes that paid parking is a barrier between the customer and businesses which is taking away millions of dollars from the local economy every year. "All council has to do is take that barrier away from bringing people into town because Wangaratta is not necessarily a destination, it's a hub in the region," he said. Mr Barry views the method of payment via the Easypark app or a council parking permit is problematic as there is a proportion of people who don't know how to download or use the app, people from out of town don't want to use it, and the permit system is only useful for people who regularly park in Wangaratta and who are actually aware of it. As a matter of priority, he said the installation of parking meters with capacity to take credit card payments would solve the access issue, and secondly he would like to see council put free parking back on the table to be explored. Mr Barry has compiled a petition signed by 2159 people calling for changes to the local parking system and he will submit it to council this week. Council reported there has been a significant uptake in the use of EasyPark to pay for parking in the Wangaratta CBD since July 2025, with more than 14,000 transactions in September 2025 compared to just over 7000 in September 2024 and 8000 in September 2023. However, Mr Barry said this was bound to happen given it's the only way people can pay for parking now and the statistic was irrelevant. The average cost of parking in the CBD using EasyPark in 2025 so far is $0.72 per transaction with an average parking time of 36 minutes. "Council has provided direct assistance to users to help with the use of the payment system," Cr Grant said. "Council has, and is, responding proactively to feedback to help improve the systems accessibility. "All councillors have been involved in consultation and discussion with the community. "The community should also be aware there is also free, timed parking around the CBD, Big W, behind the post office and Performing Arts Centre – council is currently is working to improve on-line and physical signage." Cr Grant noted that the EasyPark app offers a quicker, more flexible way to manage your parking. "Users only pay for the time they actually use, which helps avoid overpayment often seen with parking meters," she said. "Additional benefits include receiving a free reminder before your parking time expires, and you can adjust your parking sessions directly from your device." Cr Grant said council encourages residents and visitors to share their experiences with the parking system. She said constructive feedback helps them continue to refine and improve the service to meet community needs. Council will continue to monitor how the parking payment system functions and will consider feedback and ways to improve the payment system. A review report will be prepared for the council in June 2026.

Parking in CBD not so easy for some

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