MESSAGE FROM CITY MAYOR, COUNCILLOR IVAN PETCH

1 AUGUST 2006

• Council has resolved that parking meters cannot be installed in residential or local shopping areas.
  
  
• Parking meters are only being installed in selected streets in the Macquarie Park Business Corridor – this is not a retail area. This strategy has been in close consultation with the key stakeholders of the business park who are working to manage excess demand for parking. (Refer to map showing the location of the parking meters.)
  
  
• Council is currently conducting community consultation regarding the creation of a Residents Parking Scheme around the Macquarie Park Business Corridor (particularly south of Epping Road).  Parking meters will not be installed in these residential areas, or the small shopping areas (eg Trafalgar Place).
  
  
• Two-hour parking may be introduced in some residential streets (Monday to Friday only between 8am and 6pm) to ease the excess demand for parking in the surrounding residential streets as the Business Park continues to develop. Parking will still be free and free permits will be offered to eligible residents to exempt them from these time restrictions. There is no revenue raising from this scheme and this will only be introduced if supported by the local residents.
  
  
• State Government strategies of restricting on-site car parking and reducing the demand for parking in the Macquarie Park Corridor leave Council no option but to introduce parking controls in the area to protect the residential amenity.
  
  
• Creating more off-street parking for businesses in the area is not a viable solution as this can lead to increased traffic congestion and gridlock as more cars attempt to drive into the area.
  
  
• Traffic and parking congestion in the area will be eased when the new railway stations open at Macquarie University, Macquarie Park and Delhi Road in 2008.
  
  
• Council agrees with the ‘No Parking Meters’ campaign being run by the Chambers of Commerce to ensure that parking meters are not installed in local shopping areas.  This Council believes that installing parking meters in these locations would be detrimental to local businesses and shoppers. Council has formally resolved that parking meters cannot be installed in residential or local shopping areas.