Kerryn Phelps lashes inner city car ‘vendetta’

Kerryn Phelps fired a broadside at Mayor Clover Moore over what she has described as a ‘vendetta’ against cars in the city, after her move to put a moratorium on the loss of on-street parking failed.

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Kerryn Phelps has slammed what she has described as a “vendetta” against cars in the inner city, saying a drain of parking spaces was hurting residents and businesses.

Cr Phelps last Monday moved for the City of Sydney to put a moratorium on reducing on-street parking “until public transport and active transport infrastructure catches up” with a growing population and demand to get around the city.

She said community groups including the Surry Hills Creative Precinct and Darlinghurst Business Partnership had raised concerns with her about a “determined effort” to reduce on-street parking.

City of Sydney councillor Kerryn Phelps wants a moratorium placed on the loss of on-street parking in the inner city. Picture: AAP Image/Rohan Thomson

However, her fellow councillors including Lord Mayor Clover Moore voted against her motion six to four, prompting Cr Phelps to fire a broadside at her former colleague.

“You don’t see the Lord Mayor cycling to her appointments — she’s not the only busy person in Sydney,” she said.

“I consider it an example of peak hypocrisy for the Lord Mayor to be running a vendetta against cars when she is being chauffeured around the city in a car.”

Cr Moore hit back at Cr Phelps, saying the majority of her travel to and from work was “by foot”.

“When I need to use a car to fulfil my official duties as Lord Mayor, I use a hybrid car from the city’s fleet — just as Dr Phelps did when she was Deputy Lord Mayor,” she said.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore has hit back at Kerryn Phelps’ claims. Picture: AAP IMAGE / Jordan Shields

Cr Phelps said there was a “growing concern” in the community due to increased population density, more spots allocated to share cars and disruption caused by construction works including new cycleways and the light rail.

“There are people who simply need a car to get around,” she said.

“Their work might require them to move around a lot or they could be elderly people who need to get to functions and to their medical appointments.”

Councillor and architect Philip Thalis believed Cr Phelps was “out of touch” with residents when it came to carparking.

A City of Sydney parking inspector books a car on Cooper St, Surry Hills. Picture: John Grainger

“No city in the world has solved parking issues by building more roads, more parking,” he said.

“It’s a regressive thing to say that the right of cars outweighs all else.”

The environmentally-focused council has made the construction of cycleways a priority, with work recently beginning on a new 1.2km path on Wilson and Burren streets in Newtown and Darlington.

It has come under fire for raking in millions of dollars in parking fines each year — with 22 of the 60 most-fined streets in greater Sydney located in its LGA — and employs strict protocols around the award of residential parking permits.

A spokeswoman for the City of Sydney said some parking spaces had been converted or removed to support car sharing spaces, new pedestrian crossings, the light rail, mobility parking zones, loading and bus zones.

An under-construction cycleway on Wilson and Burren streets originally proposed the loss of 37 parking spots.

But the spokeswoman said Census data from 2016 showed only 59 per cent of inner city households owned vehicles — compared to 88 per cent in greater Sydney.

“This reflects the fact that residents have access to good public transport links,” she said.

“While there are areas and times where demand for parking can be high, the rate of occupancy is generally around 85-90 per cent.”

The council had no policy to reduce on-street parking, she said.

She could not provide details on how many parking spots had been lost in the inner city in the last 12 months.

However, parking had been freed up by the more than 50,000 people who had joined one of three car share schemes operating in Sydney since they were introduced in 2008 - representing more than 30 per cent of all licensed drivers in the LGA.

The council has also aimed to ensure all new buildings provide on-site parking to reduce any added competition for on-street parking.