She said the council and federal government were imposing the project on the community withlittle consultation and no real understanding of its impact on the area. The cost of the project was also skyrocketing with either local ratepayers or federal taxpayers footing the bill.
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“This is just pork barrelling and bad pork barrelling at that. This is not a community project for the good of the community. I’m not sure whose interest it is in,” she said.
“I’m a real dyed-in-the-wool Coalition supporter. My grandfather was leader of the NSW Liberal Party. But I might have to change.”
Locals have organised a WhatsApp group and a Facebook page to keep in touch. An information pamphlet that challenges many of the claimed benefits of the car park has been created for those with an interest in the issue.
David Besson,who runs Glenferrie Rd business Debonaire Dry Cleaners,sent a text to about 350 of his patrons to determine if they knew about the planned car park. He received a “no” from 348.
He said while the community may back the project,there had been precious little discussion about the car park and what it would mean to traders along Glenferrie Rd given longer-term plans to reduce on-street parking.
“This is a fundamental change to the way people will do their shopping in this area,and there’s been no real consultation,” he said.
At Canterbury,two separate residents’ groups have collected hundreds of signatures opposing the project.
They say neither the council nor the federal government has demonstrated there’s demand,and it appears to them the council’s plans are more about adding parking at the shopping precinct than helping commuters.
Gordon Black,head of the longstanding Canterbury Community Action Group,said his organisation had specifically asked to hear from people who agreed with the council’s plans and still hadn’t found a single person in favour.
“They think it’s a waste of money,they don’t believe it’s necessary,they don’t believe that there should be an expansion of the car park where … it’s proposed,” he said.
Residents were well aware the proposal “simply came up just before the last election” without being backed by any data,Canterbury Car Park Residents Group spokeswoman Dianne Peck said.
“I don’t know why the federal government is funding one of the richest municipalities in Melbourne,to actually fund[shopping] precinct parking,” she said.
“It’s just misuse of public money,really. It’s meant to be for commuter car parks. It’s not.”
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The proposal is for a 200-space car park,but more than half of these replace existing car parking in the area. Ms Peck’s group estimates each new car space will cost $173,000.
At Camberwell,the council plans to use the promised $20 million to add an extra level to an existing multi-storey car park,creating just 90 new spaces – a cost of $222,222 per car park.
There continues to be substantial doubt over the fourth car park promised by Mr Frydenberg for his electorate. He promised up to 500 spaces at a car park to service the Surrey Hills railway station.
But that station is being merged with nearby Mont Albert with the railway sunk as part of the state government’s level crossing removal program. Work has started the project.
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Boroondara council’s places and spaces director,Daniel Freer,said the consultation period running from December 14 to February 10 was longer than usual “in recognition of the summer holidays”.
“Council has already received a large volume of surveys providing feedback across all three sites. Council will consider community feedback,project impacts and benefits before deciding whether to proceed with each project,” he said.
Nationally,of the 47 originally promised car parks,six have been built,another six are under construction,five have been cancelled and one that was cancelled was re-funded in late December.