While CBD residents are busy scurrying around when they get to work of a morning to ensure they get an all-day car parking spot, it’s a far different story for a select few over at council.

They have dozens of specially reserved parking places only for authorised council vehicles in an area where finding somewhere to leave the car is extremely difficult.

The Western Advocate did a count yesterday and noted 18 places in the laneway between the council chambers and the court house, not including the four off-street places for the mayor and three others.

At the rear of the court house there was room for up to 10 vehicles, including two next to the shed where parks staff are based.

All up, that’s nearly 30 places that are off limits to the general public.

Fair? Well, not according to most of the comments being posted on the Western Advocate Facebook page about this issue yesterday.

Craig Jablonskis: “Right at the door as well! Make them park at the library and walk to work!”

Craig Evans: “I think it’s time for these spots to become timed also.”

Nicola Luccarda: “No one would complain if they got a free parking space handed to them.”

However, Lisanne McDowell put a different perspective on her Facebook comment: “Most people who work for council don’t actually have council cars and can’t park in those spaces either. Which means that we still get parking fines from council while working for council. Ridiculous.”

But mayor Gary Rush yesterday defended the authorised car parking for staff next to the chambers, saying it helps make running a business which has an annual expenditure of $130 million each year more efficient.

“There is a lot of movement with certain staff when you are running an organisation of this size where delivery service and amenity to ratepayers is crucial,” Cr Rush said. 

“Having access to nearby parking helps things run smoothly and saves a lot of time for our staff. Having said that, it is right to say parking in the city has been under recent review and some of the timed parking areas have been amended as a result of public consultation and the introduction of mobile patrols.

“Council is listening and I believe that given the premium given to the area around the civic centre for parking, monitoring of the reserved spots could become part of that review.

“I guess the argument is that why should council place themselves above anyone else in the central business district.

“We understand that some people believe council needs to justify why it needs the reserved car parking, but I think it can be more than vindicated. We have 350 employees and to have car parking for 30 of these staff is not a big ratio.”