“The parks seem to be extraordinarily large and the bike lanes are extraordinarily small,” he said.

“Kepler Street is supposed to be in our master plan of how we are going to set the city up. It is the passive street for bikes.

“You would think we would have the biggest bike lanes in Warrnambool in the area you want people to ride bikes.

“In fact what has been created at the bottom of the street, which is the only part of Kepler with a bike lane, is a lane which is 1.2 metres wide.”

He said there was a two-metre bike lane in Timor Street, however it was not a designated street for bikes.

“It’s all about creating a healthy community,” Cr Hulin said.

“Everything we should be doing is about making it safer and healthier. The obesity in this country is growing and we have to try and break that cycle.

“Bike riders want that extra metre of width, but we’ve only got 1.2 metres in some places. We need bigger bike lanes, not car parks.

“We need the lanes and pedestrian crossings, we need that infrastructure to get people out of their cars to walk to work and to the shops. Why are we still allowing the car to dominate?” 

According to Cr Hulin’s measurements, bike lanes across the CBD range in size from 1.2 metres to 2 metres.

He said parks near the post office on Gilles Street were 4.5 metres wide.

“Apparently 4.5 metres must be adequate to fit a car in there, but then you go to the next block, which is Kepler Street, and the parks are 5.8 metres,” he said.

“Why is a 4.5 metre car park being put in one street, but then the next street it is 5.8 metres? Why would you put a 5.8 metre car park when you can do it in 4.5?”

Council election candidate Tracey Thomas brought the issue to the attention of Cr Hulin.

“It’s about safety,” she said. “It’s about our kids being safe while cycling. It’s always just provisions for cars, not bikes.”

Warrnambool City Council was approached for comment but did not respond before deadline.