Manly resident parking permits scrapped by Northern Beaches Council

RESIDENT cards allowing an extra hour of free parking in the council’s four public carparks in Manly will be scrapped because the scheme as part of an austerity measure.

Northern Beaches administrator Dick Persson anxecutive officer Mark Ferguson previously made widespread changes to beach parking. Picture: Annika Enderborg.

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RESIDENT cards allowing an extra hour of free parking in the council’s four public carparks in Manly will be scrapped because the scheme as part of an austerity measure.

But former Manly councillors have slammed the decion, arguing that the cards were abandoned without proper consideration.

Administrator Dick Persson passed a motion to cancel all existing resident cards in the next six months.

Jean Hay with Daniel Robertson and Tracy Nietzke at Whistler St carpark. Picture: Virginia Young.

A report said that more than $100,000 was being lost per annum due to use of the cards. It said the scheme was unfair under a merged council because only residents of the former Manly council got the extra hour.

“If this scheme was extended to all residents ... the financial impact of this scheme would likely be considerable.”

However, a review of the entire peninsula’s parking needs will be done.

Former Manly mayor Jean Hay was critical of the move. She said the cards were introduced to help businesses at the request of the Manly Chamber of Commerce in response to the opening of Stockland Balgowlah, which has three hour parking: “They are saying it is going to cost money, but the point is it was never intended as a money making exercise, it was really to do something to help the business people and the give locals a bit longer parking,” she said.

Former Manly councillor Hugh Burns at Little Manly. Picture: Annika Enderborg.

Another former Manly councillor, Hugh Burns argued that it was a “negligible” loss of money for the council, which would be closer to $50,000 per annum, when considering that most people would just shorten their stay instead of pay for the extra hour.

“The $100,000 is based on hours now for free not based on hours when we whack a fee on those times,” he said.

“I don’t think the council is considering the bigger picture here. Given its intention as to boost the business community in Manly there should be a proper discussion on whether the cards could be retained.”

Mr Burns argued that the community should have been better consulted, and pointed out that this was an example of a negative byproduct of amalgamation.

“I would be concerned that we run the risk of alienating Manly residents if done without proper community engagement,” he said.

“We need to proceed more carefully given we want amalgamation to be a success, and we don’t want to alienate people.”