Mosman Council benefited from good summer weather by collecting a record amount of parking fees

SYDNEY’S summer heatwave proved lucrative for Mosman Council, which collected a record amount of parking fees, particularly at Balmoral, and received a boost in parking fines.

Mosman deputy mayor Roy Bendall welcomed the council’s income boost from parking fees and fines during the good summer weather. Picture: Annika Enderborg

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MOSMAN Council cashed in on the summer heatwave with a record collection of parking fees, particularly at Balmoral.

And despite the poor weather that followed, the council’s parking fee revenues still exceed amounts received during similar periods in previous years.

The council’s quarterly budget review statement to March 31 shows the council will achieve a surplus, before capital grants and contributions, of $1.491 million, an improvement on the last quarter of $770,000.

The good figure is partly attributable to parking revenue spiking in January because of record temperatures significantly boosting the popularity of Balmoral Beach.

Consequently, the council has forecast an increase of $151,000 in the collection of pay-and-display parking fees.

A pay-and-display parking ticket machine at Balmoral Beach in 2010.

The hot weather also helped to increase the council’s revenues from enforcement and compliance action, particularly parking fines.

A revised budget projection revealed a large increase in forecasted income in this area of $420,000, partly because January’s extreme heat encouraged above-average patronage at major tourist attractions in Mosman.

In addition to the council’s revised forecast of increased income, the issue of council amalgamations also helped the council’s bottom line.

The council’s report states that the prospects of a merger had affected recruitment significantly, resulting in a drop in expenditure on employee costs of $200,000.

Deputy mayor Roy Bendall welcomed the income boost from parking.

“I have never been terribly keen on parking meters, however, since we have allowed the residents to have the free parking down at Balmoral, so it does not affect the residents, then any increase in fees and fines generated is actually good for our community,” he said.

“We try to keep the cost of those permits down for residents and we are generous with the resident parking scheme for people in the immediate area, because the last thing we want to do is impose more costs on our residents.”

Council rangers, photographed in 2010, monitor parking at Balmoral Beach when the parking ticket machines were new.

Mosman property owners are entitled to one free foreshore parking permit per rateable property, while a resident parking scheme is also available for Balmoral residents.

Councillor Bendall said the money from parking fees benefited the community.

“There is a rule that we have about those parking meters: the money is spent on improvements to the area, such as manicuring our reserve and maintaining our marine structures down at Balmoral and it’s been helping to pay for The Esplanade works too,” he said.

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“If others want to use the facilities provided and paid for by our residents, then there should be a fee for them, so bring on the good weather!”

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