An Auditor General review found Perth's CBD parking levy account has grown to more than $190 million, but government agencies have no shared strategy for how the money should be used.
Western Australia's Auditor General, Caroline Spencer, has reported that the fund built from Perth's CBD parking levy has swelled to more than $190 million. The levy is charged each year on non-residential parking bays in the central city, and the money is meant to go to transport projects that reduce reliance on cars in the CBD.
The audit found the balance had been rising by around $30 million a year over the past five years. While financial controls were described as strong, the report said there was no spending strategy agreed across government. It also found only eight of 13 approved projects had involved the required consultation with the City of Perth, and flagged a conditional $600,000 approval for a swimming pool at the WACA ground that current law does not allow.
The state government responded by announcing legislation to widen what the levy can pay for beyond transport. Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas criticised how little had been spent and called for money to go towards upgrading Perth Train Station. The Department of Transport said it would finalise a CBD transport plan by January 2024.
For anyone renting or buying a commercial car space in central Perth, the levy is an annual cost for bay owners that can flow through to rents and prices, so it is worth asking whether a bay is levy-liable before you sign.
Photo: Ingolfson / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain. Entry gate to an underground car park in the Perth CBD.