Uni parking fees to rise Author: By ALISON BRANLEY Education Reporter Date: 10/12/2008 Publication: Newcastle Herald
PARKING fees in some sections at the University of Newcastle are set to more than double next year but the university will not provide one extra space at Callaghan Campus.
Staff were told yesterday that their annual fee would double, increasing from $175 to $350.
The price of ticket machines and scratch-and-display tickets will increase by a third and student parking fees will increase by the CPI. Reserved entry permits, used mostly by university executives, will more than double.
National Tertiary Education Union Newcastle branch vice-president Rod Noble said the increase was "outrageous".
He said part-time, contract and casual staff would be hardest hit.
"It's disturbing that the university left it until nine days before the university closes to let staff know about it," he said. "It's very, very sneaky. It will make it very difficult for a lot of people."
Newcastle University Students Association president Beth Maloney said students would most feel the increase in ticket machines, but praised the university for keeping annual student permits low.
She said the growing number of students on campus would make spaces even harder to find.
"They should be lobbying the government for more public transport infrastructure, making the campus more bicycle-friendly and increasing the number of parking spaces," she said.
University of Newcastle Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Services) Sue Gould said the increase was introduced to coincide with the introduction of salary sacrificing for staff parking.
She said staff who opted to sacrifice would pay as little as $187 a year, depending on taxable income.
The university said its parking fees were among the lowest of all Australian universities.
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WHAT YOU'LL PAY
General parking, daily $4
Student permit, yearly $135
Staff permit, yearly $350
Reserved entry permit, yearly $800