PAID parking will stay in Wangaratta's CBD and all parking meters will go after councillors unanimously voted to support the digital only payment option.
Under the changes all 72 dysfunctional parking meters will be removed and motorists will have to use the EasyPark App for all paid parking spaces, a new system costing $221,000 over eight years.
However, an alternative payment option via a permit system will be investigated by council officers for people who do not have a smart phone or are unable to use the app.
The public's use of the new parking payment system will be reported on quarterly to councillors, and an overall review will take place in June 2026.
Councillors were presented with four options to choose at Tuesday night's council meeting with a council officer's report recommending the installation of 16 new meters (costing $282k), with the rest of the spaces via EasyPark.
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Others options on the table were to install 52 new meters (costing $620k), or make parking free (costing $1.56m) over eight years.
Cr Tania Maxwell said she agonised over the topic but the one thing she kept coming back to was the common sense approach and "does this pass the pub test".
"We have a system that is in desperate need of upgrade and it's going to be incredibly costly," Cr Maxwell said.
She said $317,000 is not a mere amount in revenue, it really is a significant amount of money in our current economic times.
"We know the likelihood of receiving future grants is probably minimal, and I think as a council, it's our responsibility to ensure what we are moving forward is in the best interest of our community," she said.
"I have not had one business come forward to me to say why they do not like paid parking.
"The reality is that without paid parking, we will digress in our ability to ensure those parking spaces are maintained, that staff are employed, and all the other obligations that come along with us having the opportunity to park outside of a business, or somewhere else in the CBD for free."
Cr Allison Winters said paid parking helps to fund the essential services that council deliver without shifting the financial burden onto all ratepayers.
"I can't in all good conscience make a decision that puts the council in debt, impacts services, and reduces the projects available within out municipality," Cr Winters said.
"There was a comment made that $1.56 million in lost income over eight years wasn't a lot of money and I respectfully disagree."
Cr Harry Bussell said the time has come for change and he didn't want to waste money on machines.
"This parking system may well be cheaper for the people that don't spend much time in the park," he said.
"I'd rather spend the savings on helping people adapt to the new parking system."
Cr Harvey Benton said there's no such thing as free parking as people will be charged indirectly through rates anyway.
"If we don't go down this path, it will have to be absorbed out of the rates," he said.
The existing 72 parking machines will be removed as they are at their end-of-life due to the shutdown of 3G technology.
Business Wangaratta chamber of commerce secretary Adrian Fox had early addressed council on the matter and said the Wangaratta public, businesses and citizens just want free parking, with a time limit.
Mayor Irene Grant said if council doesn't obtain the revenue from parking then they have to find the revenue in other ways.
She referenced the Fair Go Rate Cap which "puts the lid on money that we can raise".
"The user pays for parking system has been in place since the 1960s, at least, so it would be reasonable that we continue it," Cr Grant said.
"In most regional cities there is some form of paid parking that allows for council to obtain revenue to provide for works around parking."
