Casey Council is introducing new timed parking restrictions at the Casey Complex, following the alleged undersupply of carparks at the neighbouring Cranbourne Community Hospital.
But users of the busy local sports hub say the new rule is incompatible with the nature of sporting events and their usage habits.
Around Casey Stadium, about 135 spaces will remain unrestricted, while more than 200 will have 2P or 3P limits.
The restrictions apply Monday to Saturday from 6am to 6pm. No time restrictions will apply on Sundays.
Local basketball figures have been quick to push back against the new timed-parking rules, arguing they are unworkable for families and clubs.
Mary-Anne Valla, a long-time team manager with the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) and a concerned mum, said when she heard about the news, it was clear that no one who worked at, played at or had experience with basketball had been involved in the decision and the repercussions it would have in the basketball community.
She explained that VJBL teams typically arrive 30 to 60 minutes before games, which often run over an hour and behind schedule, making it impossible to stay within 2P or 3P limits.
“As coaches and team managers, we have a duty of care to stay with the kids, so we won’t be able to leave them to attempt to move parking spots,” she said.
“On top of this, Casey regularly runs basketball tournaments that run all day. There is just no way that this parking change will work for the basketball community.
“All it will do is force cars to park over on the grass of the opposing side, which regularly gets swamped by rain and has cars get stuck on it.
“Many families have multiple children playing games back-to-back, also, and multiple days through the week. It’s clearly a money grab towards families just trying to do the right thing, keeping kids in sport and off the streets.”
In a media release, Council states the restrictions are not about revenue but about managing demand, with the new Cranbourne Community Hospital expected to add pressure.
Council says it has worked with the Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA) and Monash Health, but only recently learned key details about the hospital’s opening, parking and hours.
“Unfortunately, the project’s plans for car parking and operating hours are likely to add extra demand in the nearby area, demand that we weren’t made aware of earlier,” it states.
“This puts us in a challenging position, as we now have a limited timeframe to put a plan in place to manage this extra demand, and most importantly, protect the nearby streets and our community’s access to parking.
“Our top priority is to ensure that our community can access important services like health and sport as they need.”
Daniel Phillips, former president of Casey Basketball, agreed with what Ms Valla said, and also pointed out that this carparking situation was not very well thought out in the first place.
He recalled that when Casey Council, under administration, sold the land to the State Government to build the hospital in 2023, all the objections that were raised were that there was not enough car parking for the basketball or the stadium.
“And adding a hospital would only put more pressure on the parking spaces,” he said.
“They just continue to make one problem worse.
“When NBL’s game is on, you basically can’t get a car back, like, Saturday afternoon, Saturday night. It’s terrible. It’s really bad.
“And that’s without the hospital really being in operation. It’s going to be a nightmare.”
Anthony Tassone, vice president of the Casey Residents and Ratepayers Association (CRRA), said Council can’t solve hospital parking shortfalls by freezing out locals from their own community facilities.
“Feedback from residents has already been strong. Parents are asking how they can manage when they have multiple children playing over different time slots, or when tournaments and gymnastics sessions run for half a day,” he said.
“Others worry that referees, coaches, and volunteers will be forced to move cars mid-shift. This shows the restrictions are not fit for purpose.”
He said that rather than shifting the problem onto community facilities, CRRA believes Council and Monash Health should work together to ensure the hospital provides sufficient on-site parking, while being transparent with residents about demand forecasts and future policy.
Casey Council states in its media release that they are working closely with VHBA and Monash Health to formalise a parking management agreement.
“This will help ensure hospital users prioritise designated parking, reducing pressure on nearby community spaces,” it states.
