Latrobe City Council is waiving the Traralgon Central Business District (CBD) Parking Overlay fees for planning applications for eligible small businesses for the next two years.
The Parking Overlay was introduced into the Latrobe Planning Scheme in April 2016 to ensure that if any planning permit applicants could not meet their car parking requirements, cash-in-lieu would be required.
Council uses the contributions to improve parking within the town centre through improving existing or building new facilities.
At its meeting in September 2021 Council resolved to implement the waiver for 12 months to support local small business growth.
A report was presented at the most recent Council meeting on 3 October to detail the outcomes of the program and the next steps.
The report detailed how the program had resulted in four applications being approved for the waiver since it was introduced, with a total saving of $259,956 to the businesses.
There was also an increase in the number of small business applications seeking a reduction of parking spaces in Traralgon CBD, from two applications between 2016 and 2020 to four in the last 12 months.
Council considered the positive outcomes for local small businesses in its decision to extend the waiver for a further two years whilst a review of the Parking Overlay is undertaken.
"Waiving the parking contribution fees for eligible small businesses will reduce their barriers to establish and lower vacancy rates in the Traralgon CBD," said Latrobe City Council CEO Steven Piasente.
"The waiver can apply to eligible small business planning permits applications with less than 10 full time equivalent employees and an annual payroll of less than $10 million.
"We will monitor the outcomes of this change over the next two years and hope to see more small businesses choosing to establish themselves in the town,' said Mr. Piasente.
