Thornton’s Ronelle Moon was one of the residents who stepped forward with complaints about parking at the centre, which is nearing the completion of a $414m overhaul.  

“It’s a nightmare for people with mobility or disability issues,” Ms Moon, who can only walk short distances with the aid of a walking stick, told The Mercury. 

It is a concern that has surprised Stockland, who say there has been no reduction of disabled parking at any stage of the redevelopment – but that more disabled spaces are on the way.

“Most disabled people just want to go to Woolworths or Coles – I, like many others, am limited in how far I can walk,” Ms Moon said. 

“Because of the lack of disabled parking areas, I have further to go to the supermarkets and chemist because I cannot find parking spots.”

Ms Moon’s gripe specifically was with a lack of disabled parking in the undercover area near the Woolworths Plus service station. 

A Stockland spokesperson pointed out that upon completion the centre will include 61 disabled spaces, which they say is 15 per cent above code requirements. 

As it stands, the centre currently has about 40 disabled parking spaces. 

Stockland Greens Hills manager Chris Travers said the development had added multiple inclusive features during construction.

“Last year we were proud to open new disabled toilets including an adult change room facility, an inclusive playground for children of all abilities and a dedicated Quiet Room, for parents, carers and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD),” he said. 

Mr Travers added that the most recent changes to the car parks have seen disabled spaces redistributed throughout the complex, with an aim at increasing ease of access across the centre.

“We continue to look for ways we can improve the centre experience to make it an enjoyable place for all shoppers,” he said.