Ms Waddington has been visiting Heatherlie Home, in Koroit Street, for the past 16 years and up until this month she was able to park her car for up to one hour without paying for the spot.

Employees at Heatherlie said the meters had popped up over night, without any consultation from the Warrnambool City Council and Ms Waddington is not impressed with the decision to implement paid parking in the area.

“I have a lifelong friend of 40 years here,” she said.

“We used to have one-hour free parking, now with their (the council’s) greed they have decided to put meters on that one free hour park. Now I have to pay to visit my dear friend in her place of residence. I’m very angry about that.

“Is that not greed? It is so petty. Perhaps it may happen to these people who instigated it one day and then they will know how other people feel about it. The people who have done this don’t have any blood in their veins.” 

Ms Waddington said she helped out her friend with day-to-day tasks when visiting. “I do things for her,” she said. “If she wants shopping, or something at the chemist, or anything like that I help her. I am sure there are a lot of people here that have friends and relations that come to do the same thing as me.” 

One employee said a regular visitor had considered cutting back his visits.

“It will impact on the residents living here by themselves and their social contact,” the employer said.

A council spokesman said parking fees contributed towards the cost of maintaining car parks, lighting, CCTV and footpaths.

“There is free parking available just around the corner in Banyan Street,” he said. “CBD businesses and the public generally had an opportunity to comment on the parking strategy ahead of its adoption in 2015.

“The strategy discussed the “user pays” principle around parking.”