It's revenue raising gone too far. A Current Affair investigates the local council that is sending parking rangers to patrol a big name supermarket car park, to catch out shoppers and slap them with nasty fines.
Aldi's statement to ACA:
1) Is the carpark the property of Aldi?
The car park is the property of Aldi and is maintained by Aldi for its customers.
2) Did Aldi approach council to operate/manage car parking restrictions in the carpark? If so, why.
Aldi approached Auburn Council following feedback from customers that it was very difficult to find a park and shop at the Auburn store. Aldi was made aware that its car park was being used by students of nearby colleges and employees of other local businesses as all day parking.
The car park was built at significant expense by Aldi for its retail customers and it is important for the retail vibrancy of Auburn that car spaces continue to turn over and become available.
3) Is the council paid a fee for managing carparking restrictions and issuing infringements?
Aldi paid for all necessary maintenance and statutory signage.
Council is not paid a fee for issuing infringements however they receive any revenue from infringements. How frequently and by what means council rangers patrol and issue fines is at the discretion of council.
4) Why doesn’t Aldi take its own measures to limit parking (for example using boom gates) at its own expense?
Aldi has previously trialled alternatives which were ineffective in this location, drivers were ignoring normal parking regulations and leaving cars in locations that potentially posed a danger by blocking other drivers and impeding pedestrian access.
The Auburn location is a small but very busy car park and boom gates would have the potential to create traffic snarls due to queuing for entry and exits. We believe having an independent and statutory recognised authority manage the car park is a fair outcome.
The car park still offers customers free parking for two hours which is more than enough time to shop at Aldi and do a few other errands as well.
5) If a person is fined, who receives the money? (e.g. Aldi, Council, State Government?)
Aldi receives no proceeds from infringements. Council is the beneficiary of any infringement notices.
Council have been very fair and even applied a one month period of grace on commencement where they left notices under windshields advising drivers of the new rules, before they commenced regular enforcement and imposing fines.
6) Does Aldi use local council enforcement at carparks elsewhere?
It is never our preference to restrict parking at our stores. However when a car park becomes saturated by long term car parkers leaving no spaces for customers, this arrangement is one that is considered.
Other examples are Wagga Wagga CBD, Nowra CBD stores.
It is a measure employed by both Aldi and private property owners and is generally regarded as fair by legitimate shoppers.
