Page 1292 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 June 2020
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Residents have reported an almost total lack of enforcement of parking time restrictions. I would point out that enforcing parking restrictions is a cheap, possibly even profitable way of making better use of parking spaces and requires no asphalt.
In fact, there is reason to believe that the parking demand in Cooleman Court might be going down, not up. There are shops closing there. A few months ago, the local branch of the Commonwealth Bank closed, and a few weeks ago Beyond Q closed. Target has announced that next year the local shop there will also close.
Cooleman Court was designed to be the centre for Weston, and its car parking is adequate for that. It was well designed to do that. The real issue is the lack of shops and community facilities for Molonglo. As I and many other people have said before, this is a serious planning failure by the ACT government. I believe it will be one of the election issues in my electorate. The solution to this failure is not more car parks in Cooleman Court; it is decent community facilities and shops in Molonglo for the people who live in Molonglo.
Another reason, I am told, for the demand for more parking in Cooleman Court is that the bus service there has improved and a lot of people are using Cooleman Court as a park and ride. As a Green and a supporter of public transport, I am really pleased that more people are using the buses, but the government needs to make it clear to them that there is a big new park and ride next to the RSPCA and their cars would be very welcome there.
The neighbours at 8 Watling Place, as well as many other people, have put in submissions to ACTPLA pointing out the numerous planning problems with the car park proposal. As they say, the zoning there is such that the car park can only legally be a temporary car park. Why is the government spending $661,000, which is the works budget, or, as I understand the FOI suggested, up to $1.22 million, for a temporary car park? And if the car park is temporary, why was the money for its rehabilitation not budgeted at the same time as the construction? It does not make sense. We have a four-year budget cycle; it should have been in there. Will it, as the FOI shows the government is considering, become a permanent car park?
The car park proposal is inconsistent with our climate change and transport strategies, both of which support active transport, not increased car usage. It is also inconsistent with the Cooleman Court master plan, which calls for reduced reliance on private vehicles; creating opportunities for social interactions; a reduced heat island effect in urban areas; and improved microclimate through landscape design. The car park will increase reliance on private vehicles, increase the heat island effect, negatively impact on the microclimate and reduce opportunities for social interactions.
More worryingly, on social interactions, I have been told that there were intimidatory tactics by the government in the consultation with neighbours. The residents have told me they were told that the car park would definitely happen and that if they objected, their alternative was a three-storey apartment block, so they had better accept the car park. That is not permitted under the current zoning. I hope the government will listen to the community and give up on this unwanted car park.
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