The ACT Government has hit out at Opposition claims it is milking pay parking at Belconnen and Tuggeranong for general revenue. The Government has raised $3.5 million from pay parking and fines at both centres in the past year.
ACT Govt rejects pay parking revenue claims
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200503/s1328701.htm
The ACT Government has hit out at Opposition claims it is milking pay parking at Belconnen and Tuggeranong for general revenue.
The Government has raised $3.5 million from pay parking and fines at both centres in the past year.
Urban Services Minister John Hargreaves says that is on target.
He also says the measure has increased the use of public transport by 2.5 per cent.
"It might not sound a lot, but when you are talking about millions of boardings a year it is," he said.
But the Opposition's Vicki Dunne says that is nonsense.
"People are going to the Belconnen Mall to shop and they're not going to do that on public transport, they're going to go there, buy their groceries, put them in their car and go home," she said.
Mrs Dunne says she is also concerned the money being raised is going to general revenue and not being put back into the communities from which it is being drawn.