Parking protest over new fees Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au RETAIL staff at Southland Shopping Centre have taken to the street in front of the shopping complex to protest against being charged up to $1300 annually to park a car while working in shops. More than 100 people turned up on Monday morning (16 October) on the Nepean Highway outside the Cheltenham shopping centre to demand Westfield provide free parking for retail workers. Shopping centres operator Westfield introduced paid parking for shoppers staying more than three hours at Southland on 16 October. The parking fees have been brought in to discourage commuters travelling from the new Southland train station to be opened by the end of the year from parking all day at Southland Shopping Centre. Shop staff are unhappy they will be forced to pay for parking when rostered to work for more than three hours on a shift. The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association union backs the workers’ call to not be financially penalised for turning up to work, slamming “greedy global conglomerate” Westfield for “slapping” working with parking fees. “The $5 a day fee will slash up to $1300 a year from many of our members’ income,” SDA Victoria secretary Michael Donovan said. “It’s a cost they can’t afford and don’t deserve. What’s next? Charge a gold coin to go to the toilet while at work?”
Mr Donovan said the parking fees are “a double blow” for retail workers at Southland since a Fair Work Commission decision made in August will cut Sunday and public holiday penalty rates for many hospitality, retail and fast food award wage staff. Mordialloc Labor MP Tim Richardson attended Monday’s protest and said low-paid workers deserved “a fair go” from Westfield. The state MP has gathered more than 7400 signatures asking Westfield to drop parking fees for Southland shop staff. “Many workers simply can’t afford it [but] have no other option than to drive to work,” Mr Richardson said.
Signs of discontent: Retail staff and Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson display opposition to retail workers being forced to pay for parking at Southland Shopping Centre. Picture: Gary Sissons
“So how about a fair go for Southland workers [with] no paid parking?” Scentre Group, owner of Westfield shopping centres across Australia, said the staff parking fee system is also in place at the group’s Doncaster shopping centre. “To ensure parking spaces are available for customers and prevent anticipated pressure on the carpark due to the opening of the new train station,
controlled ticketless parking will be introduced at Westfield Southland”, Scentre Group corporate affairs head Julia Clarke said in a statement. “The vast majority of shoppers will continue parking for free with a threehour free parking period”. “There will be designated staff parking areas, with staff who elect to park at the centre receiving a flat parking rate of $5 per day, or $3 for four-and-a-half hours”. Shoppers who park for more than three hours at Southland Shopping Centre will pay a sliding scale of fees up to a maximum of $15 for a 7-8 hour stay.
Time to hit garage sales trail again KINGSTON households, schools and community groups are set to join thousands of people across the country taking part in the Garage Sale Trail this month. The annual event will be held on the weekend of Saturday and Sunday 21-22 October and is a great way to pass on preloved goods to others looking to snap up a bargain. Garage Sale Trail co-founder Andrew Valder said waste is a growing issue for Australia. “As a nation, the amount of waste we churn out has grown six times faster than the population and in fact, the average Australian family now produces enough waste to fill a 3 bedroom house every year,” Mr Valder said. “While recycling is one solution, reusing stuff you no longer want is even better. It extends the life and value of the stuff we buy and takes pressure off the planet’s precious resources.” Kingston mayor Cr David Eden said the event brings the community together, encourages households to declutter plus think about the waste they generate and how it can be reused. With over 30 garage sales already list for Kingston add your sale to the Trail or see what’s on offer at garagesaletrail.com.au/kingstoncity online.
Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News 18 October 2017
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