Parking pain: Veneto Club says North East Link road works have halved its revenue

Pulling into Bulleen’s Veneto Club on a Sunday evening, you may see soccer games, elderly Italians grabbing their weekly bistro meal or people playing a friendly game of bocce.

However, you will also see parking spaces at a premium – an impact of the North East Link Project (NELP) works, with general manager Kon Monos saying disruptions and land acquisitions have cut the club’s revenue by about 50 percent compared to pre-Covid levels.

🇮🇹What is the Veneto Club? Officially opening its doors in December 1973, the Italian social club on Bulleen Road currently services 1,600 financial members, 800 junior soccer players and about 200 foundation members.

🛣️What is the NELP? Works are currently underway to construct two 6.5km tunnels between Watsonia and Bulleen and widen parts of the Eastern Freeway to up to 20 lanes, including off and on ramps, with works slated for completion in 2028.

🗓️Years of disruptions: Veneto Club general manager Kon Monos said the business has not operated at normal levels since before Covid, with NELP’s land acquisitions cutting their car parking by a third.

• “We’ve lost about 50 percent of our gross revenue,” Monos told the Eastern Melburnian. “We're losing money – that's just the simple fact, and the government is not compensating us for that loss.”

🅿️ Supply vs demand: Manningham deputy mayor Deirdre Diamante said she visited the club last week, describing it as “a schmozzle” as she witnessed patrons in their 80s having to park at Bulleen Park and walk – 10 minutes and 800 metres from the front door.

📍 Land changes: The NELP has submitted a Planning Scheme Amendment to the Planning Minister to give land back to the Veneto Club for use for car parking.

✍️ Pushing for action: In a submission to the amendment, Manningham Council argued the planning controls would limit the land use and NELP should work alongside the Veneto Club to achieve a “mutually beneficial long-term planning outcome” for the land.

• Manningham councillor Geoff Gough said it was “extremely unfair” for the club to follow along with NELP’s demands over the years and still have limited certainty about its future operations.

• 🗣️“It’s broken and it’s going to take a long time to fix,” Gough told the Eastern Melburnian.

❤️Not giving up: Monos said while he was “frustrated” by ongoing negotiations, the club was willing to hold on and adapt its service provision as needed, promising the club would still be in Bulleen for another 50 years.

📣 Working forward: A spokesperson for Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority (VIDA) Roads said it was “always working closely with local communities to support them through construction”.

• 🗣️ “This includes working closely with local stakeholders and councils on issues such as parking, and have built a number of dedicated worker car parks within our work sites to help accommodate our large workforce,” said the spokesperson.

• The Eastern Melburnian understands VIDA Roads is continuing talks with the Veneto Club on a long-term parking solution and further measures.