An increase in on-street parking fees in the Melbourne CBD and an above-inflation rate rise are the key announcements in a tough first-year Melbourne City Council budget.
On-street parking will increase from $4 an hour to $5.50 an hour – and increase of 37.5 per cent – and follow increases in the state budget for off-street parking in the city.
Fees for the council’s car parks in the CBD will also increase, up from $5 to between $8 and $12 an hour, with car parking charges to increase outside the CBD. (Source; The Age. Read more)
In Sydney the story isn’t much better where parking can cost up to $82 for 4 hours in the CBD, and in Brisbane daily casual parking rates of $65 plus are the norm. Australia has some of the highest parking rates in the world – which is crazy when you think of how much space we have.
Cheaper Parking Options
Savvy commuters are finding more cost effective ways to park – and there is more than one winner here.
A growing trend towards Collaborative Consumption (sharing) is having an impact across many areas, and parking is one of those things that people are increasingly “sharing”.
People who have spare or unused car parking spaces at their home, apartment, or workplace are listing them for rent online at specialist websites like www.spaceout.com.au.
SpaceOut’s Director, Damon Russell says that they are seeing an increase in the number of private parking options in the CBD’s across all capital cities. Russell says; “ Spaceout.com.au has customers that rent out there carpark during the day whilst there car is not there. They can collect a nice little income from it”.
Private Rental
Private Storage rentals have also emerged recently as an alternative to traditionally expensive self storage. Using websites such as Spaceout.com.au, storeroomrentals.com.au and findacarpark.com , Aussies can rent out their unused space privately as a car park or in place of self storage and make extra income.
It is surprisingly simple – just put down the details of your space in as much detail as possible, including pictures, maps etc and your price, and wait to be contacted.
Most sites have a small fee to list your space on the site Spaceout.com.au is $6 and findacarpark.com is $30….Not a lot when you could earn a couple of hundred dollars a month.
