By SAT Community reporter
MELBOURNE, 12 November 2020: Diwali and Christmas shoppers got a massive boost with the Greater Dandenong Council announcing today on-street free parking till 31 December 2020. A spokesperson of the Council told SAT, the free parking area includes Foster Street which has the iconic Little India precinct.
“We strongly encourage residents to support local businesses. We hope that by offering free parking, more people will shop locally. This will help Greater Dandenong businesses recover from the challenging events of 2020 sooner, particularly as we lead up to the festive season,” Chief Executive Officer, Mr. John Bennie said.
Council will also introduce free parking at the Dandenong Market before 10 am, to help spread out the crowds at the site.
“As we welcome patrons back to services and precincts, we know Dandenong Market has been and will continue to be a popular choice for many people. From November 13, free parking will be offered until 10 am every market day (Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday). Free parking is currently available all-day Sunday. We hope this will attract people in the early morning, and even out the numbers across the day.”
Time limits still apply to all parking bays and will be enforced. The offer of free parking does not include off-street car parks in central Dandenong or the Dandenong Market car parks after 10 am.
“While it’s important to attract more people back to local business, it’s also vital to make sure we all stay safe so we can stay open,” Mr. Bennie said.
Council staff along with DHHS have set up a marquee at the market to assist traders with COVID safe practices, and to engage with the general public by offering free masks and information.
