A Ballan farmer and volunteer was annoyed about enforcement of parking regulations against himself and others during the town’s major festival in March.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
However, he said he had parked inside the event’s closed off area, off the road.<\/p>\n
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remained valid and correctly issued, based on the Road Safety Road Rules 2017, the financial penalty had been withdrawn.<\/p>\n
The letter stated that the enforcement approach at the event represented a change from previous practice that was not clearly communicated in advance.<\/p>\n
Wells could have the official warning the letter represented reviewed.<\/p>\n
However, he said the enforcement would have done damage to the town’s reputation for those outside Ballan who attended the festival.<\/p>\n
About 5,000 attended the event.<\/p>\n
“Outside visitors are not going to take the risk of that happening again, because that could happen again,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Why would they bother?<\/p>\n
“There was people from Werribee and Sunshine and everywhere having come to our little town, and then to get treated like that.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Cr Munari said the council had been in regular contact with the festival’s committee.<\/p>\n
She said the council would be speaking with them to devise a better parking system for future events.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“We want this to be kept on the table, this discussion around how can we do better because we have to.”<\/p>\n
Harper understood some patrons had been fined for things like parking in their own driveways or dropping off passengers.<\/p>\n
He said many festival attendees had contacted organisers believing they had parked responsibly under event conditions.<\/p>\n
The council had communicated directly with motorists who received fines and could not comment on individual fines.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n