Aussie small business owner's desperate plea as she warns high streets are becoming ghost towns

By JOANNA HYNDS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA Published: 05:53, 19 August 2026 | Updated: 05:54, 19 August 2026 A small business owner has warned her suburb's high street could become empty because customers can't find a spot to park. Emily Beale runs a yoga studio in Matraville, in Sydney's east, but said parking fines and a lack of available spots have forced customers to miss classes. She said while many of her students copped a parking penalty, others missed class because they were driving around the block looking for a spot. She said the majority of parking spaces in the area were limited to just one hour - a major problem for businesses such as her own, and others like hair salons where customers typically need to stay for longer. There are only six two-hour parking spaces in the area, which she says are highly competitive due to a nearby Woolworths, primary school and prayer room. 'It's just not enough to serve the area,' she told Yahoo News. Ms Beale says that in the two years since opening her studio, Sowa Yoga, on Bunnerong Road, she has watched the street decline, with several shops shutting down and new businesses failing to move in. She said Matraville had always had a strong sense of community - one of the things she loved about the suburb. Emily Beale runs a yoga studio in Matraville, in Sydney's east, but said parking fines and a lack of available spots have forced customers to miss classes  A small business owner says restrictive parking rules are killing her local high street (pictured, Bunnerong Road in Matraville) Ms Beale says parking in the area is largely limited to one hour, making it difficult for customers of small businesses such as her yoga studio But Ms Beale also believes the council prioritises beachside suburbs such as Maroubra, describing Matraville as the 'dirty cousin'. 'Matraville is 2.8 kilometres away from Maroubra Beach. We should be thriving as a suburb,' she said. 'I feel like the council doesn't care about Matraville.' In a statement to the Daily Mail, Randwick City Council said it was 'actively investing in Matraville', having already spent millions of dollars on upgrades to footpaths, landscaping, trees, seating and public spaces as part of a long-term plan to revitalise the town centre. The council said it recognised that local businesses were 'the heart of the Matraville town centre' and was committed to creating a 'vibrant town centre where businesses can thrive'. It also said it planned to review timed parking arrangements along Bunnerong Road within the next 12 months, with feedback and requests from local businesses to be considered as part of the process. Ms Beale is now reopening her studio across the road, closer to the two-hour parking.