Disabled parking conversation with Greater Shepparton City Council

The Shepparton-Echuca Regional Network welcomed new and existing members for their first meeting of 2020. Nine people attended the meeting to learn about access and inclusion projects at the Greater Shepparton City Council.

The Network met at the Riverlinks Eastbank Café in Shepparton for lunch and a social catch up. It was great to see connections being made between new members.

The Network then met with Mark Tomkins, Access and Inclusion Officer from the Greater Shepparton City Council. Mark discussed a range of topics to which the Network provided feedback:

• The plan to update their interactive mobility map which lets the user see up-to-date information to accessing services within the community http://greatershepparton.com.au/region/maps
• The need for more community consultation for the revised Universal Access and Inclusion Plan.
• Council acknowledged that the disabled parking standards need updating. They will strive to create new disabled parking spots that goes beyond the current standards. http://greatershepparton.com.au/council/parking-enforcement/parkingmap
• Clarified that when renewing parking permits, if the permit holder has a permanent physical disability (living with paraplegia, quadriplegia, or amputation), then Council just needs the permit holder to update their contact details.
• There are currently four Changing Places toilets within Greater Shepparton, and one more will be installed in the new Shepparton Art Museum. Users will need to purchase the MLAK key to use the accessible toilets. https://changingplaces.org.au/find-changing-places-toilet/
• The new Poolpod lift at Aquamoves, which enables the swimmer to safely access the pool with a submersible wheelchair or while standing: http://aquamoves.com.au/article/!/1415/post/increased-accessibility-for-the-25m-pool-at-aquamoves

As locals are the “eyes and ears of the community”, Mark encourages everyone to contact him with access requests on 5832 9700. The Network is looking forward to continuing this relationship with the Shepparton City Council.