A Keilor Downs resident of nearly 40 years is accusing Brimbank council ticket inspectors of “feasting” on drivers parking in a paddock near Keilor Plains train station.
Bill Labbad caught a train into the city early on Tuesday, February 16, to volunteer for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
With the station’s carpark full, he was forced to park in an adjoining paddock along East Esplanade. He said no parking signage was in sight.
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He returned to find he’d got a ticket for “stopped on a nature strip”, despite leaving “ample” space in the paddock between the rear of his vehicle and the kerb.
Several other cars had also received tickets.
Dirt and weeds
“The whole area is dirt and weeds without any definition of what’s a nature strip, footpath or paddock and what’s not,” Mr Labbad said.
“The [station] carpark is always full. Council officers are feasting every day on well-meaning drivers and commuters. It’s better to park in this paddock than clogging the surrounding residential side streets.
“If council can convincingly explain that parking on that paddock actually poses real risk or hazard, I’d be prepared to discuss it further.”
He said the council’s belief the parking of his car was a risk to pedestrians was laughable.
“There would be no harm done to any unlikely pedestrian who would choose to walk on this unpaved side of the street,” he said.
“There could not possibly be any risk or hazard to any traffic since the paddock is well tucked away from the road. I have lived at my present address in this municipality for 38 years … I have never had any conflict with council officials, at least until now.”
‘Risk to pedestrians’
Brimbank city development director Stuart Menzies said it was “clear that the vehicle needed to mount the curb to park in this location”.
“Parking is not allowed on nature strips where it can pose a safety risk for pedestrians,” he said.
“It becomes dangerous for pedestrians and other road users when drivers try to make their own exit back onto the roadway.”
Mr Labbad called for the paddock to be upgraded into an official carparking bay.
“The population keeps increasing and the problem grows bigger … they owe it to us.”
