By Ethan Benedicto
Residents of Kramer Drive in Berwick have spoken out against the recently proposed car park, with concerns on congestion and a “soft foot in the door” to more unwanted amenities in the area’s quaint stretch.
Michael, who lives just a few metres from the gated entrance to Wilson Botanic Park, said that “the street’s just not big enough to have a car park up here”.
“If you’ve got a lot of people parking up here, there’s also going to be a lot of others who won’t get through, and the residents are going to find it hard to get out of their driveways.”
Another option, Michael said, would be to utilise other open spaces, such as the one adjacent to Grenville Court.
Rosalyn, another concerned resident, said that by the same token, traffic is the biggest concern, and that “trying to do a right-hand turn out of Kramer Drive is really difficult”.
Her mother, and also a homeowner in Kramer Drive, Jill, said that there is already a big ‘people’ focus on the park, and that “parking in this area is just not an option”.
Previously, the City of Casey’s manager of creative communities, Emily Clarke, said that the car park, which was identified in the 2022 Wilson Botanic Park masterplan, “would be used during peak periods, such as weekends, school holidays, and a small number of special events”.
“It won’t be a paved surface; instead, existing grassy areas would be strengthened to maintain the natural character and protect tree root systems,” she said.
Grevillea Ward councillor, Dave Perry, weighing in on the residents’ concerns, said that he had not heard of the project’s plans before it was funded in the budget, as of the council’s April meeting.
“Apparently it went out for community consultation back in January to April 2020, as part of the Wilson Botanic master plan, which was adopted in 2022,” he said.
“Clearly it is planned to handle the increasing visitor numbers for people enjoying the park.”
However, Perry also highlighted the importance of proper management and planning, if it were to go through.
“We need to make sure this car park is planned and managed properly by the council so we don’t see a repeat of the after-hours antisocial behaviour local residents are experiencing at Bayview Carpark at the 1001 steps,” he said.
Perry also added that there would be a benefit for the State Government to “come to the party and install the long-awaited pedestrian crossing” at the main entry of the park.
Jill, Rosalyn and Michael agree that a proper crossing and lights on the Princes Highway entrance would alleviate the parking capacity concerns, touching on the space that the Princes Highway Service Road provides for visitors.
“I know that it’s only going to be up in this area, they’re not going to put asphalt, but even if they do, protect the trees and the roads, this is a soft foot in the door for more to follow,” Jill said.
Michael held the same concern, adding that when the parking is in, the distance to amenities is greater, meaning that “the next thing you know, they’ll end up putting a toilet here next”.
“And then they’ll put up something else, so where’s it going to stop? It shouldn’t start, basically.
“It becomes a matter of convenience, they’re going to put more things around the car park to make it more convenient, but it’s not convenient for us,” he said.
As an alternative, the three residents entertained the idea of using the open space across Blackburne Square and next to Lyall Street as a car park alternative, with all saying that, considering it had been empty for so long, it would be a better option.
This story is developing, and more information will be added once available.
