Business owners claim staff are taking key CBD customer parking

Lydiard Street's Evans Bakery owner Steve Rumble said it was a "big concern".

"There's five cars that I know of just outside the shop that are from surrounding businesses who just run the meter until after lunch," he said.

Mr Rumble said his business is about 90 per cent takeaway focused and will get walking traffic from people visiting on the train.

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Workers and business owners along Armstrong and Mair Streets told The Courier similar stories.

Most of their customers will come in complaining about parking, they said, and it was common for them to see cars park outside all day and customers are lucky if they only had to drive four times around the block to find a park.

Lotus Oils owner Stephen Roberts said he has seen a decrease in the number of car parks available as Armstrong Street has changed.

He has seen the centre parking in the street disappear and outdoor dining pods have further limited options.

The loss of the multi-story car park that was turned into GovHub has reduced options for workers and customers alike.

Hydrant Food Hall owner Sam Rowe said parking has always been an issue and he thinks there needs to be car parking closer to services.

He said the Creswick Road car park which is now being turned into a bigger Officeworks was the "worst spend of money in the history of mankind".

"No one is going to walk 800 metres into town with a pram and a baby," he said.

Mr Rowe would like to see more car parking spots in "sensible" places, while Mr Roberts said he hoped a change to timing means there would be more turnover.

Mr Rumble, The Forge owner Tim Matthews and Gravy Sport co-owner Aziz Bamyani all said the 15 minute car parking options which were used during COVID-19 lockdowns were useful and should be implemented again.

Mr Bamyani said 50 per cent of Gravy Spot customers were ordering online.

He said he would often see police watching for drivers illegally parking.

"They are here to make seven or eight dollars on deliveries and are getting $100 fines."

Mr Matthews said business owners can only encourage workers to park elsewhere.

Currently the Ballarat's parking is split into two zones, and Mr Matthews said this needs to change, especially with the diversity of different shops on Armstrong Street that each have different needs.

"It doesn't make sense to have one strategy for the whole of Ballarat," he said.

The push for parking changes comes as businesses stand with Campanas' petition to change the parking situation.

Council's acting growth and development director Joanna Cuscaden said in a statement they employ eight traffic officers who all work on the same shift to "maintain the parking in Ballarat's CBD area".

On January 18 she said there were no plans to change Ballarat's all-day parking rules and that 2023 data showed there was a high turnover in the area's parking.