Bunbury residents angered by Bunbury Centrepoint’s move to stop CBD visitors parking in its facilities

Bunbury’s largest retail complex will no longer allow members of the public to use its carpark for free if they do not plan to shop at the centre. The move — which will see a dedicated worker monitor the bays — has lit a fire under a large number of residents, who have expressed concerns about their privacy and vagueness of the new system. PrimeWest owned Centrepoint Shopping Centre announced on social media on Tuesday it was stamping out “non-genuine” shoppers in its Blair, Arthur and Prinsep Street side car parking facilities by issuing breach notices to people who park on-site but do not immediately enter the complex. In the statement, the centre said workers and other CBD visitors parking on-site was impacting trade. “Due to the locality of Centrepoint’s land holdings adjacent to the CBD, a high percentage of CBD workers and their customers park their vehicles in our car parks for an extended period of time without paying for parking, resulting in a significant impact on the inconvenience of our genuine shoppers, restricting access and loss of trade to our shopping centre tenants,” the statement read. “If a car parking breach notice, stating ‘Unauthorised Parking’ has been issued, this is due to the driver of the vehicle walking immediately offsite and not entering Centrepoint Shopping Centre. “Furthermore, the breach notice is unable to be revoked as the driver of the vehicle has been unable to provide proof of purchase from any one of our tenants, during their extended period of unpaid parking on-site.” Bunbury resident Belinda Musitano, who owns two businesses in Australind and Dalyellup, said she would boycott the shopping centre because she holds concerns for her own privacy. “I probably come into town about once a week,” she said. “I think it is a bit ludicrous that they are actually watching where people are walking to. “It doesn’t make me feel comfortable at all. “I will be making a conscious effort not to go to that shopping centre if I can get anything anywhere else because I disagree with these rules.” Ms Musitano said she expected there would be some impact on trade in nearby areas of the CBD. “I worry for other businesses nearby that are struggling for passing traffic anyway,” Ms Musitano said. “If there is just one less reason for people to come in, or it is even harder to access parking, then they might lose business as well.” Bunbury resident Cael McLeish regularly visits the shopping centre while completing other tasks in the CBD, and said the move will inconvenience casual shoppers. “I have never seen that car park full,” he said. “There is a lot of people who go in to Target for example, and what if they don’t have the item they wanted? How are you going to show a proof of purchase? “If I’m in town I will drop in on my way to the bank, or the hairdresser and I might just be getting a drink or looking around. “After this I definitely see myself using it less.” But Bunbury Geographe Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Kristy Gillian backed the move and said Centrepoint’s existing all day parking offers were still a good option for workers and other visitors to the CBD. “It is a reasonable request, and a reasonable assertion that parking on their land is for their patrons,” she said. “They offer all-day parking which is easy and cost effective.” All-day parking options are available on the top-level of the car park off Cornwall street for $6 per day, which allows visitors to “come and go as many times throughout the day as they require”.