The inevitable conversion of parking spaces behind the old TAFE building to paid parking stations has left many nearby workers out in the cold.

The vacant lots have been used as staff parking by a number of nearby businesses and were particularly welcomed by staff working odd hours to save them a long, dark and potentially dangerous walk back to their car. That option has now been taken away from them and some are naturally concerned.

Of course, this is an issue confronted by many CBD businesses.

A lack of suitable staff parking is a regular complaint of local business owners whose staff must either park several blocks away in untimed spaces, leave work every couple of hours to move their car or risk a $100 fine from council rangers for overstaying their welcome.

Given that background, few business owners – or staff – would feel much sympathy for the few who have been inconvenienced by the changes at the TAFE building.

Indeed, some might say the changes have simply levelled the playing field for all businesses in the main street – except one.

Bathurst Regional Council again stands guilty of a double standard over its quarantining of public car spaces along William Street and down Court House Lane for its own vehicles to park free all day.

Businesses who pay handsome rates to council cannot understand why they are being slugged further to provide parking for staff when council simply has to erect another street sign to grab a few more spots for those working in the civic centre.

Every other business in the CBD would love to have that power.

So it’s not hard to see why businesses would react badly when council proposes to start slugging them to park where they’ve been parking for nothing for many years now.

CBD parking will always be a bone of contention and it might be that a multi-level car park that has never got past the planning stage will finally provide some answers.

But even if that project eventually goes ahead, it will not quell the anger over council taking public car spaces as its own.

Some wrongs can never be made right, regardless of how you spin it.