Monash Union of Berwick Students president Ben Maxfield and student Eliza Mielczarek have expressed outrage after they were hit with an unexpected $55 parking permit fee. Picture: Stewart Chambers.
By Rebecca Fraser
ANGRY students have lashed out at Berwick’s Monash University, claiming they were slugged with a $55 parking permit without warning.
The outcry erupted when classes resumed this semester and students were told to pay the new fee within the month or park elsewhere.
Monash students claim that student service officers directed them to park at McDonald’s opposite the Clyde Road campus or at the Berwick railway station if they did not wish to purchase a permit.
Students also claimed university staff told them that part-payment was not an option, nor sharing permits between vehicles if students wished to car pool.
Others have said it was pointless putting up signs on campus or placing information on the university website about the permits over the Christmas break as very few students had seen them.
The Monash Union of Berwick Students (MUBS) said it had not been told about the new cost until 2006 classes had resumed.
Student union president Ben Maxfield said it was unfair on local business to instruct students unable or unwilling to pay the new fee to park on their private premises.
He said if the union had been informed of the permit introduction earlier they could have forewarned students before classes resumed and they could have then rearranged their finances.
Mr Maxfield said many students begrudged paying the permit as the car park was always at capacity and in need of urgent expansion.
“Unfortunately the university gives out more permits than parking spots.
“Students live on a pretty tight budget and it is hard when you have book expenses and all these other things to pay for and then you are asked to fork out another $55.
“It can be tough,” he said.
Final-year student Robyn Appleby said she only found out about the new cost when she arrived back at school last month.
“I found out when I saw a big sign up in student services and thought, ‘What is this all this about?’
“Consider that Berwick used to pride itself on its free parking and it was one of their big drawcards.
“I just paid my amenities, my textbooks were $150 and now this,” she said.
Professor Phillip Steele, academic director at Berwick campus, said parking permits were introduced to the Berwick campus for the 2006 academic year to bring the campus into line with the university’s other Melbourne metropolitan campuses and raise revenue for transport-related infrastructure on campus.
Mr Steele said revenue collected has been spent on the inter-campus shuttle bus and on-costs associated with maintaining and improving parking and roads.
“An extra 51 car parking spaces were created for 2006 and a new car park holding 45 cars constructed for the new Monash residences, which opened at the beginning of March. The final decision to introduce parking permits for the Berwick campus was made late in 2005. Sales of permits were delayed until well after the start of the academic year so the introduction of the permits could be communicated to staff and students,” he said.
“Information regarding the introduction of parking permits was advertised on the Berwick campus website and displayed on information boards and on signs around the campus.”
