ONE councillor calls it a storm in a tea cup, but the Minister for Local Government believes it is time for Bathurst Regional Council to reconsider its annexing of 30 CBD car spaces for its top brass.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Former mayor Paul Toole is now a heavyweight in the NSW Government and has entered the parking debate first raised by the Western Advocate earlier this month.
And he agrees there is a perception that it is unfair for council to allocate its own all-day car parking places on the public road in Court House Lane next to the civic centre.
“I have checked with the Act and councils do have the power to regulate parking activities in their local area,” Mr Toole said.
“This means they are within their rights to put signage up and regulate parking or use of a vehicle in a designated place such as being done by Bathurst Regional Council.”
Mr Toole said parking has become very much a local issue since council introduced its mobile parking patrols.
“It was never really an issue before then,” he said. “The matter of the council car parks has never been raised until now. The question is whether or not those 30 spots that council has on the street should be retained just for council’s use or go into the pool for everyone to use, first in best dressed.
“And there is also the fact that businesses could ask the question, ‘why can’t they do the same for their staff at their premises?’
“It does need to be looked at because there is a perception that council is giving itself preferential treatment.”
Mr Toole said he is of the opinion this issue needs to be thrown into the mix as part of an overall parking study for the city.
“I think that as part of that study it is a fair call to ask the question if the council parking situation gives them too much favour,” he said. “The whole dynamics of parking in the CBD has changed since the patrols started.
“However, one of the benefits of the mobile parking patrols and timed parking is that it keeps a good turnover of parking spaces available for business in the CBD.”
In the meantime, Cr Warren Aubin from council’s traffic committee says it’s all a storm in a tea cup.
“I’ve got a permit to park there,” he said. “I think it’s quite ok. I don’t have a problem with it. We are a business that supplied parking for its employees.
“Corrective Services and the police also have reserved car parks in the lane way, what’s the difference between them and council?
“Council has had reserved car spots in the laneway forever and a day and I don’t see that changing.”
