New Parking Management Plan adopted

Published on 01 July 2021

Community feedback has shaped Horsham’s newly adopted Parking Management Plan.

The new management plan is designed to help make it easier for people to shop, visit and do business in central Horsham.

The most noticeable change for the community will be the extension of one-hour parking to two hours, while some four-hour zones on the fringe of the city will also become two-hour bays.

Also, parking restrictions will end after 5pm instead of 5.30pm.

“The changes will allow shoppers time to complete their visit to the central business district without having to continuously return to their car to top up meters or move to another location,” Horsham Rural City Council Mayor Robyn Gulline said.

“For many people in the city, one hour is not long enough to complete their shopping. But two hours is sufficient,” she said.

As part of the review, a community-based Project Reference Group was established to provide local knowledge and guidance about parking issues in Horsham’s commercial precinct.

Cr Gulline said efforts were made to ensure the public had extensive input into the new plan.

The draft was open to public feedback for five weeks and was on display at the Civic and Horsham Plaza.

“All parties impacted were consulted and a representative community Project Reference Group was established to support the development of this plan.

“Representatives of retailers, landowners, business groups, ratepayers, mobility groups, aged persons, and sporting groups were invited, regular meetings were held to help develop the plan and review the recommendations,” she said.

The plan will be reviewed as necessary and does not address parking fees and or parking meter upgrades.

KEY CHANGES:

• Consolidation of all 1-hour parking spaces into two-hour parks
• Establishment of a signposted two-hour precinct in the core of the retail area where all car parks are 2P unless signposted otherwise
• Consolidation of all short-term parking (10, 15, 20 and 30 minutes) into 30-minute parking
• DDA spaces spread across city in key locations including high turnover
• Removal of exclusive reserved parking and any associated infrastructure which is to be made available and accessible to the general public
• Moving of fleet vehicles off streets
• Parking restrictions to apply 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 12pm Saturday
• Long-vehicle parking directional signage be established in strategic locations to help point visitors to these without having to do a u-turn
• Streamlining of permit applications