City's $1m parking fine Author: By MEGAN LEVY Date: 10/07/2006 Publication: Illawarra Mercury
WOLLONGONG motorists have forked out more than $1 million in parking fines for the second year running.
Council rangers have booked 9220 motorists for illegally parking in the past financial year, adding up to a whopping $1.185 million in fines. That number is down slightly on the previous year, when Wollongong drivers paid $1.22 million in fines.
However Wollongong motorists beware - two more parking rangers are about to hit the beat in Wollongong, concentrating their efforts on outer suburban areas which, to date, have escaped relatively unscathed.
Wollongong's figures dwarf those of Shellharbour and Kiama local government areas, which each recorded about $40,000 in parking infringements.
However those local government areas do not employ full-time parking rangers.
Kiama has one part-time parking officer, while none of Shellharbour's five rangers is dedicated solely to parking enforcement.
As parking problems continue to plague Wollongong, Councillor David Brown said enforcement was vital to ensure safety and to ensure turnover at limited spots.
Mr Brown, who is also chair of the transport co-ordination body T-Team, said a number of reports tackling the city's parking woes were expected to be released alongside the City Centre Revitalisation Strategy next month.
"When we introduced the rangers (in 2002), certainly what I and other people said was we should never come at this from a revenue point of view. It has always got to be from a public safety point of view," he said.
"The key to parking is demand management, that's what our experts are saying. Part of the studies is working out when and where people need parking spaces."
Cr Brown is a strong advocate of public transport. He said Wollongong was lagging behind the state average in its use of public transport.
"Wollongong's public transport use it roughly half the state average. If you could shift some people onto our buses and trains, you take a lot of pressure off our parking," he said. "I think what's starting to happen is that more people who work in the CBD are realising that getting a free park somewhere convenient is getting harder and harder, and also with our timed parking, it's pushing people out further. It will come to a point where it's just not convenient."
An Access and Movement Strategy study was carried out as part of the City Centre Revitalisation Strategy.
The study found that while Wollongong's population is expected to increase by 31 per cent by 2026, transport demand is expected to outstrip that growth at 44 per cent, due to projected increases in car ownership.
Mr Brown said it was estimated up to five more parking stations, each with 500 spaces, would be needed in Wollongong to cater to the growth in the next 20 years.
The council was looking at funding one of those stations through developer contributions, he said.
"Some of the options are to build (the parking stations) into a building. We have seen some designs where it shows you can wrap a building around a parking station," he said.
The bottom lines
HOW much did residents in your area fork out in parking fines in the past financial year?
? Wollongong: $1.185 million.
The council has six allocated full-time parking ranger positions, although one staff member has been on leave for the past year, and there have been other rostering difficulties. Two extra full-time rangers will start in the next three weeks.
? Shellharbour and Kiama: Both recorded less than $40,000 in parking infringements. Neither council has full-time parking rangers.