Parks safety ‘fears’

JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
A PARKING squeeze at Belmont Common’s popular Sunday market has created safety fears, according to organisers.
The shortage of spaces has forced families to park in a K-Mart car park and attempt to cross busy Barwon Heads Road.
City of Greater Geelong runs the market under the management of Barwon Valley Activities Centre.
A spokesman for the activities centre said parking was “a bit of a problem”.
Parking was available in three locations around the centre, including inside a loop of a recently completed $1.5 million cycling criterium track, he said.
“We did have signage up when the track was being constructed and it was up for six or eight months but the public never got used to parking in there and people don’t use the car parks as much as they could.
“Because it hasn’t been paved yet and there are a couple of potholes it puts people off from parking in there.”
The spokesman said distance was also an issue for market patrons.
“Most people think K-Mart is closer,” he said.
“The marked spaces go pretty quick and then people park on the nature strip and nearby areas to be as close as they can.”
The City declared when building the 2.2-kilometre criterium track that it would be able to coexist with the market.
Centro Properties manages the K-Mart car park as part of the company’s Belmont Shopping Village precinct.
Centro Newcomb manager Lisa Kinnear said she was aware of market patrons using the car park.
“But we don’t have ability to patrol the car park,” she said.
City sport and recreation manager Paul Jane said about 250 car parks were available at the Barwon Valley Activity Centre on market days.
“This includes 57 car parks sealed when the cycling criterium track was built last year as well as an overflow car park capable of accommodating around 200 cars,” he said.
“As part of the criterium track works gravel was spread over the overflow car park to make it easier for vehicles to access it and sealed paths were installed to link the car park to the market area.”
Mr Jane said the number of car parks for use during the Belmont market remained unchanged since completion of the criterium track.