Resident Margaret Hollis used public question time at last Wednesday night’s meeting to again raise concerns about illegal parking and dangerous driving on the street, which runs beside Bicentennial Peace Park.

Mrs Hollis said no-parking signs erected along the street were routinely ignored during major events at the park, creating congestion along the street and even blocking residents’ access to their property.

And she feared the situation would worsen once the region’s major bicentenary project – a flagstaff marking the spot where Governor Lachlan Macquarie proclaimed the settlement of Bathurst in 1815 – was unveiled next year.

“I would like to ask, who is responsible for policing parking on the weekends?” Mrs Hollis said. “Council’s parking vehicle does not go around on the weekend and the police do not want to know about it.

“Also, has sealing or improving the car park [behind the Bathurst Aquatic Centre] and improving footpaths been included in the budget for the 2015 project?

“I would suggest the no-parking signs are painted on the road and that council close the traffic coming from William Street into Stanley Street and make it one-way for the safety of motorists and pedestrians.”

Engineering services director Doug Patterson confirmed footpath works would be included in the budget for the flagstaff, but said there were no immediate plans to seal the car park to make it more attractive to motorists.

He said Cr Warren Aubin would take Mrs Hollis’ concerns to the traffic committee for further consideration. 

Environmental planning and building services director David Shaw said council and police shared responsibility for monitoring parking in the area and said council rangers could conduct irregular weekend blitzes.

“Council’s rangers do not usually work on the weekend but they will do random weekends,” he said.