We are constantly being told that Campbelltown’s population has been growing strongly in the past few years.
Not that any local would need to be told: all they have to do is try to find a parking spot when they go shopping or to conduct some business.
It’s much worse in the central business district, but even in smaller shopping precincts such as Ingleburn, Leumeah, Bradbury and Minto finding a parking spot can be hard at peak times.
Now a councillor wants a full study into parking across the whole local government area, from St Helen’s Park in the south to Glenfield in the north.
Councillor Paul Lake will move the following notice of motion at council’s next meeting on Tuesday, October 13:
That a full feasibility report be presented to Council outlining the financial and non-financial implications of introducing paid parking into the Campbelltown Local Government Area.
However the former mayor wants to make it crystal clear that his aim is to have a comprehensive look into the current parking situation in all of Campbelltown – and what action is needed now and in the future to ensure supply meets the demand for parking spaces.
“There is no point in doing a study and not looking at everything and the whole area, instead of just the CBD,’’ says Cr Lake.
“I’d like them to look at things like the two hour parking and how that works.
“In my experience two hours may not be enough because things go wrong sometimes when you’re out doing some business, maybe seeing a lawyer or a doctor, things like that.
“Is the answer what they do at Macarthur Square, where the first three hours are free but you pay a little bit more to stay longer?
“Paying a little more would certainly be better than coming back to your car and finding a parking fine that will cost you a lot more,’’ he says.
Cr Lake agrees that with Campbelltown’s population expected to increase by more than 100,000 people in the next 15 years, new parking spaces will have to be built.
“Council will have to plan for that, but we need to ensure the spaces we have are available as efficiently as possible, and that’s why I am asking for this feasibility report into paid parking,’’ he says.
Cr Lake says if council were to go down the path of paid parking, revenue collected should be spent on new parking.
