Northern beaches residents to receive free, unlimited parking at council beaches

A UNIVERSAL beach parking system will be rolled out across the peninsula as the first move of Northern Beaches Council administrator Dick Persson.

Northern Beaches administrator Dick Persson is making widespread changes to beach parking, pictured with interim GM Mark Ferguson. Picture: Annika Enderborg.

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A UNIVERSAL beach parking system will be rolled out across the peninsula as the first move of Northern Beaches Council administrator Dick Persson.

From tomorrow, all residents will be able to park at any beach in the new local government area in what Mr Persson called a “commonsense” approach to ease the concerns of residents.

He told the Manly Daily: “It should have happened before in my view.

“And the only reason it didn't happen is because the three previous councils were protecting what they perceived to be their interests and, in some cases, financial interests.

“I don’t think they were really in the best interests of everyone.”

However, there is a catch, with Manly Beach only allowing four-hour parking at a time due to its higher demand.

And residents of the former Manly Council area — who do not have parking permits because of the paperless system — will have to wait up to two weeks to access unlimited parking on all beaches.

Northern Beaches administrator Dick Persson. Picture: Annika Enderborg.

They will be mailed new parking permits that allow them to park free of charge at all other beaches.

Residents with an existing permit for the former Pittwater and Warringah councils will be able to use them at any beach from today.

Mr Persson used his first action at tonight’s council meeting to push an administrator’s minute allowing the free, unlimited parking at all beaches for every household.

“It is a strong indication that there will be advantages coming to the residents and ratepayers form one council,” he told the Manly Daily.

Mr Persson said there had been widespread confusion about beach parking under a new administration, which led to one system for all residents.

“It is an early message that there are some things that can come out if this,” he said.

There will be more than 40 carparks across the northern beaches which residents can park at free of charge.

Areas that will not fall under the universal parking scheme are Rowland Reserve at Bayview Church Point Reserve and Woorak Rd Reserve at Palm Beach.

Local resident Dean Logan was left furious over incorrect parking ticket. Picture: Virginia Young.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU:

• If you have a valid Pittwater or Warringah parking sticker, you can park on Manly Beach for four hours free per day, and free all day at more than 40 Northern Beaches Council beaches and reserves.

• If you are a Manly resident who currently has a Manly Digital Designated Permit, a parking sticker will be posted within two weeks.

• You must display this sticker on your windscreen when you park.

• You no longer need to go to the meter and take a ticket or enter your vehicle registration at Manly Beach or at any other designated beach or reserve. Rangers will use their handheld ticketing devices to check if numberplates match to the system for the next fortnight.

• Beach and reserve parking permits are not valid at Rowland Reserve, Church Point Reserve or Woorak Reserve car parks as they require a special permit.

• Beach and reserve parking permits are not valid at existing Manly Residential Parking Permit Scheme Areas as they require a Special Residential Permit.

Woman cops unfair parking fine because of glitch in ticket station. Leslie Sargaent parked her car on N Steyne and put her rego in the ticket box. She was fined 5 minutes later - even the council said they'd had teething problems with the machine but they wouldn't reverse the fine, she went to SDRO and they refused her appeal as well.

WHERE IT APPLIES:

Four hour parking only:

- Manly beachfront metered parking spaces

· Shelly Beach

- Clontarf

- Sandy Bay

-The Spit Bridge

All day parking:

· Birdwood Park

· North Narrabeen Beach

· Mid Narrabeen

· Narrabeen St Beach Carpark

· Robertson St Beach Carpark

· Devitt St Beach Carpark

· Collaroy Beach North

· Collaroy Beach South

· Fisherman’s Beach

· Long Reef Beach

· Dee Why Beach

· Dee Why Headland

· North Curl Curl

· Mid Curl Curl

· South Curl Curl

· McKillop Park Reserve

· Freshwater Beach

· Moore Road, Freshwater (beach end)

· Gore Street, Freshwater

· Jamieson Park

· Middle Creek Reserve

· Manly Dam

· Avalon Beach

· Bilgola Beach

· Clareville Beach

· Governor Phillip Park, Palm Beach

· Mona Vale Beach

· Newport Beach

· North Narrabeen Rockpool

· Ocean Road, Palm Beach

· Warriewood Beach

· Bayview Baths

· Bilarong Reserve

· Pittwater Park, Palm Beach

· Winnererremy Bay Reserve

· Whale Beach