Visitor Paid Parking Pilot

This Visitor Paid Parking Pilot has now concluded.

Parking at Pilot locations is now free and ePermits are not required.

All car park users must adhere to time restrictions.  

A decision on the future of permanent Visitor Paid Parking has been deferred. 

Council will revisit the future of Visitor Paid Parking next year. 

Thank you to all residents who accessed their ePermits and Visitors who enjoyed our foreshores during the Pilot. 

The Pilot Evaluation Report(PDF, 2MB) and Strategic Recommendations Report(PDF, 1MB) are available. Find answers to all your questions by visiting Visitor Paid Parking and exploring our comprehensive list of FAQs. 


A Paid Parking Pilot for visitors to the Mornington Peninsula Shire is underway as of 1 December 2023 at:

  • Flinders Pier Foreshore carpark (Flinders)
  • Schnapper Point Foreshore carpark (Mornington)
  • Sunnyside Beach Foreshore carpark (Mount Eliza)

The Pilot is an opportunity for residents and visitors to continue to share these foreshores while more fairly distributing the cost of maintaining them.

Visitors will be required to pay for their stay at these sites. This can be done by:

  • Downloading the PayStay Parking App and creating an account
  • Scanning the unique QR code signposted at each car park and paying as a PayStay Guest
  • Calling 1300 322 111

In addition, visitors to Schnapper Point, Mornington will now have the option to pay via Tap’n’Pay: a single electronic parking meter enabling payment via credit/debit card. This is located within the 2P parking area at the bottom of the precinct.

How to Pay on a Tap’n’Pay:Tap'n'Pay parking at Schanpper Point.png

  1. Press 'Touch here to start'
  2. Enter your vehicle registration and press 'Continue'
  3. Select your parking time by pressing the 'RIGHT+ MORE' or 'LEFT- LESS' button
  4. Tap your credit/debit card or smart device on the black PayWave square
  5. Wait 3 to 5 seconds for the meter to process your payment
  6. If you would like an e-receipt, select 'Yes'
  7. Scan the QR code or enter the URL that appears on the screen and enter the code to download your receipt and press 'Continue'
  8. The screen will display the time your paid parking will finish
  9. The transaction is now complete

 

Find out more about PayStay.

Residents of Mornington Peninsula Shire, including renters, are able to park for free at the pilot sites but will require an ‘ePermit’ to ensure they are not charged during their stay and adhere to the signed time restrictions.

Local Business Staff and Volunteer/Club ePermits are also available for eligible persons to minimise impact on business owners within the vicinity of the paid parking locations and their staff and to support community events that take place at our foreshores.

Accessible ePermits ensure that the cameras at each foreshore parking pilot site can recognise those who are parking with an accessible parking permit.

Apply for an ePermit as a resident


Where is it happening?

What are the next steps?

Community and visitors will be encouraged to share their feedback about the paid parking initiative and their experiences of the Pilot. A mid-point review will allow improvements where possible as the Pilot moves forward.

Following the initial Pilot, Council will consider all feedback received and data collected in its evaluation. A successful Pilot could see further expansion of the system across other foreshore areas on the Peninsula.

Facts and stats

Key points

  • Visitors to the Mornington Peninsula pay to park via the PayStay APP. 
  • Hourly rate of $6.20 with a daily rate capped at $19.50. 
  • Residents of the Mornington Peninsula do not pay to park but will need to apply for an ePermit. 

Timing restrictions 

  • There are some new timing restrictions – please refer to maps. 
  • Sunnyside and Flinders will be all day parking. 
  • Schnapper Point will have a mix of 2P and 4P to encourage turnover and all-day parking opportunities.  
  • Both Peninsula residents and visitors are subject to the same time restrictions. 
  • Paid parking will operate from 8am to 8pm. 

Technology and compliance

  • Licence plate recognition used to monitor and enforce - paperless technology. 
  • No permit stickers or parking meters. 
  • PayStay APP allows visitors to pay for the exact period they park without rounding up (if a visitor stays for 30mins the charge will be $3.10 not $6.20). 
  • 15-minute grace period (no charge) for vehicles dropping off/picking up passengers or have been unsuccessful in finding a carpark
  • No cash payments - visitor payment will be made via the PayStay APP. 

ePermits for free pilot site foreshore parking 

  • Residents can apply for up to five foreshore parking ePermits per household. 
  • Select volunteers and adjoining facility club members can apply for parking ePermits.  
  • Staff of local adjoining businesses can apply for parking ePermits.  

Desired benefits 

  • Fairer access for everyone through increased vehicle turnover. 
  • Revenue to fund the maintenance of foreshore related infrastructures such as paths, bins and signs as well as other services including public toilet and beach cleaning.
  • More equitable system to share in cost to maintain foreshore infrastructure enjoyed by both residents and visitors. 

Implementation 

  • The Pilot commences 1 December 2023 and will be reviewed after nine months of operation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do residents pay?

No. Residents of Mornington Peninsula do not have to pay to park. Residents are however subject to any timed parking restrictions and enforcement if they overstay. Each household can access up to five ePermits at no cost.  

Fees will not apply to those with accessible (disabled) parking permits. 

How can I access a resident permit? 

Permits for residents are digital and linked to your vehicle registration.  Simply visit Resident Foreshore Parking ePermits and follow the instructions to apply. 

Residents need only apply for an ePermit if they intend to park at one of the three locations included in the pilot. There will be no need to apply for a permit if you do not intend to park at Sunnyside Beach, Flinders Pier or Schnapper Point foreshore carpark during the pilot period.

To register for a resident permit, you need to create a PayStay account. The PayStay application is used by other Councils and businesses all around Australia. When you create an account, the application provides the option to enter payment details in case you wish to park in other areas outside of the Mornington Peninsula which use the PayStay application.

Why am I asked for payment details if parking is free for residents?

Entering payment details is optional. If you do not wish to enter your payment details you can skip this section of the registration process.

Why ePermits?

ePermits are a quick and easy way to apply for a parking permit. You will need a PayStay account to manage your application and your ePermit can be linked to an existing PayStay account or you can create a new one. 

There are many advantages to using a PayStay account – no paper permits, ease of applying for and managing your permit in your own time, and email alerts being sent to keep you updated on the progress of your application. 

Who can apply for a Resident Foreshore Parking ePermit?  

To access a Resident Foreshore Parking ePermit you need to provide evidence that you live on the Mornington Peninsula.  

You are eligible for (up to five) Resident Foreshore Parking ePermits if you:  

  • own a property on the Mornington Peninsula and live in it
  • rent a property on the Mornington Peninsula and live in it
  • own a property on the Mornington Peninsula and rent it out as a short-term rental,(e.g. Air BnB. NOTE: tenants of short-term rental properties will not be able to access ePermits)
  • own a holiday house on the Mornington Peninsula and do not rent it out  
  • own a parcel of land on the Mornington Peninsula with a current building permit to construct a dwelling  
  • live in a caravan park on the Mornington Peninsula as a permanent resident. 

What if I have more than five people living in my house with vehicles? 

A maximum of five ePermits will be made available for each property for the pilot. 

Will motorcycles be charged at the same rate? 

Yes, the charge is per vehicle. 

Why Visitor Paid Parking? 

Council has been exploring options to better manage public parking around our foreshore areas.

We have more than 6 million visitors a year increasing pressure on car parking and related infrastructure.

Ratepayers are paying around $8 million per year for the maintenance of foreshore-related Council infrastructure, such as car parks, pathways, public toilets, playgrounds, bbqs and furniture. As well as other services such as grass mowing, tree management and beach cleaning. 

Paid parking encourages vehicle turnover and influences transport mode choice. 

Visitor paid parking is an opportunity for residents and visitors to the Peninsula to continue to share our beaches while more fairly distributing the costs of maintaining these areas. 

Why is the pilot needed? 

A Pilot allows Council to test the benefits and impacts of a new visitor paid parking system on a small scale, trial the relevant camera-based paperless parking technology and seek feedback in anticipation of wider rollout if successful 

How did Council decide on the Pilot locations? 

While multiple locations across the Peninsula were considered, the three selected sites ranked highest when assessing key pilot control factors such as cost of implementation, the range of business rules able to be tested and technology considerations. 

The three locations have been selected as they meet important criteria to enable a successful Pilot. The simple configuration of how cars enter and exit at Sunnyside and Flinders Pier provides the best environment to trial Vehicle Identification (VID) camera technology and software, while Schnapper Point allows us to test a broad range of business rules and impacts in a more complex situation. 

Other foreshore locations were excluded from the pilot due to scheduled major capital infrastructure works that would impact site access. 

What technology are you using? 

The VID cameras use Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) technology to detect vehicle number plates and then identify vehicles that have not paid and do not have a permit or have overstayed the parking time limit. Security and privacy around the collection of data will be paramount as part of the technology-based implementation of the Pilot.

EziCom is the cloud-based Parking Management Solution (implemented by Orkian).

What time restrictions will be introduced? 

Please refer to maps on this page. 

After extensive stakeholder engagement with the community and businesses at the three nominated locations, specific aspects of the Visitor Paid Parking Pilot have been reviewed and updated including the provision of timing restrictions. 

Influenced by community feedback and local knowledge, timing restrictions will vary for each pilot location. 

Sunnyside North Beach Foreshore carpark (Mount Eliza) and Flinders Pier Foreshore carpark (Flinders) will be All Day parking. 

Schnapper Point Foreshore carpark (Mornington)will have a mix of timed restrictions including 2P and 4P to encourage turnover but also ensure all day parking opportunities remain.

How will my data and privacy be protected?

EziCom complies with provisions of The Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) and other applicable information security policies, standards, and guidelines.  Orikan (supplier of Ezicom technology) comply with all the requirements with respect to the collection, management and disclosure of your personal information set out in the Act.

Licence plate data collected is not linked to the vehicle owner/driver’s information. As required by the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act), PayByPlate follows strict procedures when storing and using the information you have provided.

Frequent auditing by an independent security firm is undertaken and EziCom itself undergoes penetration testing annually.

Is CCTV used in the paid parking pilot?

The cameras are not CCTV cameras. The cameras used are Licence Plate Recognition cameras and do not record video. The cameras are used solely for the purpose of capturing vehicle registration plates via photographic stills, upon entry and exit of the car parks.

Revenue will be used to help maintain foreshore infrastructure across the Peninsula while ensuring fairer access for everyone.

Council has been exploring all available options to better manage public parking around our foreshore areas. The popularity of our beaches especially during the summer months makes access a challenge and puts increasing pressure on existing public car parks and related infrastructure.

This is an opportunity for residents and visitors to the Peninsula to continue to share our beaches while more fairly distributing the costs of maintaining these areas.

The Pilot will enable us to test parking rules, trial latest technology and assess the flow on impacts. It will allow the collection of real-time data and valuable community feedback.

Questions?

We expect a lot of community interest in this project. Send your feedback via the form below, or contact us on paidparkingpilot@mornpen.vic.gov.au.

Click here to view form.