Frustration over Ballan event parking enforcement

A Ballan farmer and volunteer was annoyed about enforcement of parking regulations against himself and others during the town’s major festival in March.

Geoff Wells received a $122 fine for a vehicle he had driven in the Ballan Autumn Festival’s parade being parked not facing the direction of travel.

However, he said he had parked inside the event’s closed off area, off the road.

While the Moorabool Shire had advised Wells in writing the infringement remained valid and correctly issued, based on the Road Safety Road Rules 2017, the financial penalty had been withdrawn.

The letter stated that the enforcement approach at the event represented a change from previous practice that was not clearly communicated in advance.

Wells could have the official warning the letter represented reviewed.

However, he said the enforcement would have done damage to the town’s reputation for those outside Ballan who attended the festival.

About 5,000 attended the event.

“Outside visitors are not going to take the risk of that happening again, because that could happen again,” he said.

“Why would they bother?

“There was people from Werribee and Sunshine and everywhere having come to our little town, and then to get treated like that.”

Wells thought the event had been a brilliant experience, and he thanked councillors Paul Tatchell and Ally Munari, and festival president Kevin Harper for their support.

Cr Munari said the council had been in regular contact with the festival’s committee.

She said the council would be speaking with them to devise a better parking system for future events.

“The night that I first saw the post regarding the infringements on social media was instant concern in terms of the reputational damage to the town, to the event, and to council,” she said.

“We want this to be kept on the table, this discussion around how can we do better because we have to.”

Harper understood some patrons had been fined for things like parking in their own driveways or dropping off passengers.

He said many festival attendees had contacted organisers believing they had parked responsibly under event conditions.

The council had communicated directly with motorists who received fines and could not comment on individual fines.