At last week’s policy committee meeting of Bathurst Regional Council, councillor John Fry said people making their own off-street parking was damaging the grass.

Ongoing damage to the grass would eventually impact trees, he said. 

While there is a gravel parking area off Browning Street, people who go to George Park to either play or watch sport often park on the grass that surrounds the fields. 

“We need to have a designated parking area so that we don’t have people driving over [the grass] and compacting it,” Cr Fry told the Western Advocate. 

“I think we need to have clear parking areas and not have people driving up over the gutter.”

He said that an asphalt car park could be considered, but some sort of gravel car parking is sufficient, along with on-street parking. 

However, he said having a barrier preventing people driving on to the grass, or simply having signage discouraging parking on the grass may be enough to solve the problem. 

“The Engineering director said he would look into it and get back to council,” Cr Fry said.