Salisbury Councillor calls for new carpark at Mawson Lakes Interchange
A SUBURBAN councillor says hundreds of thousands of dollars collected for the purpose of building a carpark should be spent doing just that – and one location stands out.
ABOUT $365,000 that is sitting idle in Salisbury Council’s war chest should go towards building a multi-level car park at the Mawson Lakes Railway Station, says a local councillor.
Salisbury Cr David Bryant wants his council to crack open its Mawson Lakes Carparking Fund to pay for a portion of a new carpark, which would replace the existing site at the interchange.
Cr Bryant said the council should put the entire amount in the fund towards the project and hoped the State Government would foot the rest of the bill.
It is not known how much such a facility would cost until a feasibility study is conducted, but it would likely be several million dollars.
“The money was collected for the purpose of building a carpark and, in my view, (the money) should be used for what it was collected and intended for,” Cr Bryant said.
“It needs to be done to ease pressure on the existing businesses in the region.
“Currently, Metro Pde has timed parking and is already at capacity. And given Foodland is coming – it is currently under construction on Metro Pde – people will need a place to park.
“The council needs to do something now to ease the pressure and congestion in the area.”
The Northern Messenger reported this month that Cr Bryant wanted to build an eight-storey carpark to stop people parking in no-standing zones, and motorcycle and disabled parks.
This week, he planned to ask his fellow councillors to support the plan. His request was due to go to the full council meeting on Monday, after deadline.
If it was supported, the council will write to Premier Jay Weatherill, Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis, and Transport and Urban Development Minister Stephen Mullighan, asking for their financial commitment in the 2017-18 Budget. The carpark is owned by Renewal SA.
Salisbury Council created the carparking fund in the 1990s, collecting $12,000 from businesses for each parking space they required that was not already provided on site.
Developers were also required to contribute to the fund when building new properties.
However, councillors voted to stop asking small businesses for their contributions from 2016-17 because it was deterring people from setting up shop in existing commercial sites.
The council is preparing a report for elected members, outlining parking issues around Mawson Lakes and Salisbury City Centre, and options for use of cash in the carparking fund.
In an email sighted by the Northern Messenger, Salisbury’s city development general manager Terry Sutcliffe said building a multi-deck car park was a potential solution for the issue.
A government spokesman said the council was yet to submit a proposal, but if funding could be sourced, they would be “eager to work with the council”.
Meanwhile, SA Transport Department traffic inspectors were on patrol last week at the interchange, placing warning notices on cars parking in no-standing zones.
The inspectors, who were at the station at least three times last week, issued the notices to dozens of commuters who had parked their cars along yellow no-standing lines.
The letter, which noted the vehicle’s registrations number, stated the cars were parked in “an area which is not a recognised parking place” and warned that if the vehicle was found in the same place again, the driver risked “prosecution, which carries a maximum penalty of $750”.
It also said, under the Passenger Transport Regulations 2009, that the owner of the car also faced a $105 expiation notice, if the car was again caught parked in a restricted area.
“You are encouraged to comply with the established parking requirements to ensure you avoid the need for any further action against you in the future,” the letter said.