Meter by meter: fight for parking rages on Author: Mitchell Brain Date: 14/12/2006 Publication: Newcastle Herald
"SEVERAL residents from The Hill have raised issues to council on local parking." So began a survey letter from Newcastle City Council, dated March 1, 2006, and my journey also began, initially heading up a gentle hill.
In all of my communications with the council from day one up to and including John Tate's comments at the council on Tuesday night this week, the only justification for parking meters has been the needs of "several residents".
It turned out that, according to the council's survey, there were only seven residents in favour of the meters. Knowing that at my workplace alone there were in excess of 100 stakeholders opposing this new "tax", I realised the obvious approach would be to use simple mathematics to help the council see the light.
So I packed my petition into my luggage and set off. Unlike the council's survey, which by its own admission was distributed only to "residents and property owners" on The Hill, my petition was made available to all stakeholders throughout the CBD.
Having planned only for a short journey I would have been happy to have received 500 signatures, but of course every journey is full of surprises. Some 2508 signatures later we had won our case. We were on the fast track downhill to our destination. Or so little old nave me thought!
Against general opinion, the Lord Mayor accepted my petition in person. He tabled it as a lord mayoral minute at the council, recognising that it was unusual for him to do so but that it was "a large petition and the people deserved to be heard". At last I could make plans to put my feet up at journey's end.
However, I soon needed to take on more provisions and change back a few gears for the new climb. The Community Development Group Report, based on the council's survey and including criticism of my petition, was made publicly available. (I had been told that I would need a freedom of information application to access this document). The report recommended the meters on The Hill.
What to do next? With the support of Cr Marilyn Eade I was successful in having a public voice at the council. Another opportunity to present the council with facts. I was cruising again on the downhill slope.
I collected the councillors' souvenir gifts photographs of "For Lease" signs in the CBD, photographic evidence of the failure of existing meters to address problems, published complaints of people fined for shopping in the CBD, even an article reporting Bondi businesses considering legal action against lost revenues caused by their meters.
Then another bump in the road. Only seven councillors were present at the public voice. Not all of those absent read my subsequent submissions. Consequently, some councillors have made decisions without having reviewed all of the available facts not a democratic process!
So the journey continued back uphill.
The councillors did not take up my suggestion to survey CBD businesses to ascertain the effects of meters and the need for better public transport. So I set off once again, with my own survey. I arrived at the top of another hill, my destination just visible in the distance, with 97 per cent of my survey respondents reporting detrimental effects of meters and fines on their businesses. I emailed these results to all the councillors, in the forlorn belief they would give them due attention.
Then Tuesday night. I arrive to discover it's all been a mirage. Only four councillors listen to their constituents and vote against the meters. Not only is the journey now up a very steep incline, but a muddy one at that.
I encourage readers to find out who these four councillors are and remember their names at the next council elections.
And here I am, still unsure of journey's end but certain it isn't now. If only common sense and civic duty would provide a simple road map?
Where to now?
I have taken the first steps in the next stage. I have asked the council to explain the precise details of how "several residents" approached the council in the first place.
The Lord Mayor, and others, tell us it's not about revenue raising, so I've asked all the councillors (for the second time) to take up my challenge and donate all excess monies to charity.
Will my questions be answered?
I invite all and any to join the continuing journey or else one day soon you will arrive at your journey's end but will have to pay for the privilege.
There is still much more that we can do to correct the council's illogical and contradictory decision. We can make a difference.
Mitchell Brain has been a commuter to The Hill for the past 18 years and has orchestrated the campaign against parking meters there.