Environmental planning and building services director David Shaw revealed planning was under way as councillors voted on Wednesday night to put council’s Draft CBD Parking Strategy on public display.

Mr Shaw was responding to a question from Councillor Warren Aubin, who pointed out the strategy report cites the need for an additional 641 car spaces in the CBD by 2025 to maintain current levels of service.

“Are we looking now at areas where we could possibly build multi-level car parks?” Cr Aubin asked from the floor.

“Yes,” was Mr Shaw’s short but sweet reply.

There was no further discussion of the strategy, which will now go on public display for a month.

The public is invited to make submissions on the strategy before it returns to council to be formally adopted.

The draft strategy found that, on average, there are more than 1700 empty car spaces in the CBD on any given day. 

It also cites the Elizabeth Street car park opposite the Bathurst Aquatic Centre and areas around Carrington Park as options for council to provide free day-long parking to workers and shoppers.

Other key recommendations include:

* Erecting signs to indicate all-day parking in the Bathurst Library car park, Elizabeth Street car park and at the Bathurst Information and Neighbour-hood Centre.

* Providing lighting in the Elizabeth Street car park as a priority as funding becomes available.

* Encourage the shopping centre management to continue to enforce the time restrictions in the Stockland, Bathurst City Centre, Bathurst Chase and IGA car parks.

* Maintain Elizabeth Street car park in public ownership.