Let’s be honest. No one likes using parking meters. Metal machines that take your money for the temporary use of what was once free public space on our public roads. And when Parramatta introduced parking meters, it opened up a Pandora’s Box of new problems like being addicted to the money it generates, and consequently pushing many customers away from Parramatta to other neighbouring shops and businesses that have free parking.

Facing real competition from neighbouring business districts, how does Parramatta restore its edge and provide and regulate car parking spaces so that the optimum turnover of use can be achieved as efficiently and as effectively as possible for everyone’s benefit?

The following (in no particular order) ideas are being examined by the Liberals/Independents for possible implementation:

(a) could we not have 15 minute free parking to our residents and business operators by way of a registered credit cards database such that these registered credit cards will automatically give them free parking (15/30/60 minutes). This avoids the costly hardware changes and implements only a software change which can be easily deployed without even changing the metal signs and can be sold as intellectual property to other councils who have the same parking meters. This method could also positively differentiate our ratepayers from those outside of our LGA.

(b) why have we kept the cap on car parking capacity per piece of land within the Parramatta city centre since September 1999? This law (a legacy of the Sydney Regional Environmental Plan 28, now the Parramatta City Centre LEP) effectively limits the quantum of car parking per site even though the working/residential population on that site has increased significantly.

(c) how do we increase the actual amount of car parking spaces needed, ie where in our Parramatta City Centre planning instruments have we defined new commuter and/or car parks to be built?

(d) instead of being addicted to parking meter revenue, it could be offset by advertisement on the rear side of the tickets. This can immediately attract new revenue each year, which could then be used to reduce parking meter fees and lead Parramatta ahead of other areas for business.

(e) our car parking stations should be allowed to include advertising and other value-added opportunities, for example a mechanics shop, a car wash, or other complementary retail. This, again if outsourced, can immediately attract new revenue which can be then reduce parking station fees and lead Parramatta head of other areas for business.

(f) allowing businesses to have parking tickets as part of a local reimbursement scheme. To explain, the parking meter prints out two tickets – one for the car’s dashboard and the other for the local business to reimburse to the customer. That way, the customer is reimbursed for his parking meter ticket by the local business “paying“ for it. PCC could also form a relationship with those local businesses in some kind of financial arrangement to make this scheme a win-win.

A future update of the feasibility of the above ideas will be reported again soon.