This new multi deck commuter carpark is about to open in Farrow Road, a stone’s throw from Campbelltown railway station.
But Campbelltown Council and the NSW Government are locking horns over who should be paying for the cost of running the new carpark.
Campbelltown Mayor Darcy Lound has written to the NSW minister for transport, John Graham, asking him to intervene to expedite the matter.
The letter will be abled at tonight’s council meeting, and where the debate on the issue is expected to be robust.
“I understand council officers have been liaising with Transport for NSW to resolve the operation and management of the new multideck commuter carpark at Farrow Road, Campbelltown under a Park and Ride model,’’ says Mayor Lound in the letter.
“I am concerned, with the impending completion of the carpark, that this remains unresolved.
“Approximately 70 percent of Transport for NSW customers that currently rely upon the parking facilities at Campbelltown Train Station are not from Campbelltown, rather they are from surrounding LGAs (local government areas), particularly Camden.
“This is due to the lack of public transport infrastructure provided to the wider Macarthur region, necessitating commuters from across the Macarthur region to access the Sydney Trains network at Campbelltown,’’ he says.
“Council would request that a Park and Ride model be implemented for the benefit of Transport for NSW customers, managed by Transport for NSW with a long term lease over the site.
“This would enable the cost of maintenance and operations to be borne by the commuters using the facility, rather than Campbelltown ratepayers.
“The ownership of the land and physical built structure should not be a barrier to the government providing an equitable, efficient and consistent parking experience for the customers of Transport for NSW, nor should it be a reason to shift the cost of the operation and management of the facility to those that are unlikely to use the facility.
“We are on track for practical completion of the multideck carpark by end of March, supported through Australian Government grant funding, and therefore require an urgent solution.
“I’d appreciate an opportunity to meet with you urgently to discuss and agree on a resolution with minimal disruption to our community,’’ Mayor Lound said in the letter.
