Page 764 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 26 February 2013
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Gartside Street in Erindale, where parking simply has not kept pace with the growing number of restaurants and businesses in the area. Anyone who has had the privilege of enjoying a Friday evening takeaway from one of the great eating establishments on Gartside Street will attest to the hazards of parking there.
The diabolical parking situation in Erindale is not because there is a lack of land available or because there is a lack of will by any of the business owners; it is simply a case of lack of interest and attention shown by a succession of Labor governments. In fact, the ineptitude that this government has shown in providing sufficient car parking facilities is causing local businesses to suffer.
The Canberra Liberals took a different view last year and committed to improving the situation at Erindale as well as at numerous other centres around town. We committed to adding dozens of car parks in areas and identifying further parking options in an effort to alleviate the current hazardous situation. My colleague Alistair Coe worked very hard on policies that were taken to the last election aimed at alleviating some of the burden placed on Canberra motorists. These policies committed to providing thousands more car parking spaces across the ACT, focusing on town centres and park-and-ride facilities; conducting an audit of all of our parking facilities; and reviewing parking provision rates and addressing regulatory obstacles which impede the ability to meet parking demand. Providing credit card parking machines was a simple and practical option giving more flexibility for motorists.
I also remind members in this place that a majority of Canberra residents, particularly in the electorate of Brindabella, voted for a government that would bring about these changes and provide a better focus on these issues and others that really matter.
Just last week Mr Barr stated: “There will be many hundreds of development opportunities in the city. There will be competition now amongst different areas of the city to attract that investment. If people do not want the investment and do not want the benefits that come from that, fair enough; they will go somewhere else.” Well, Mr Barr, residents of Brindabella clearly voted for the development of more car parks in Erindale. The question is: when will you and your government deliver?
Parking problems are not exclusive to the major town centres. There are a number of smaller suburban shopping centres around Canberra that are suffering from a shortage of parking. Many smaller shops are enjoying renewal, and with this renewal comes increased patronage. An example of this is the Carleton Street shops in Kambah. This vibrant little shopping centre has a cafe, gift store, second-hand store, takeaway, hairdresser and dance school. All of these services are in an area that is serviced by just under a dozen car parking spaces—not to mention that there is not a single space allocated for disabled parking. This situation does nothing to foster the growth of small businesses in local suburbs. Imagine the shopkeepers’ frustrations as they watch people drive past their businesses simply because there is not enough space for people to stop and park. I do not believe it is reasonable for business owners to be renting the front yards of surrounding residents in an attempt to provide for the shortfall of parking spaces that is this government’s legacy.
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