Report into Schofields parking lacks empathy: Greenway MP

A STATE Government report which has overlooked new carpark spaces for Schofields train station has been criticised for “lacking empathy”.

Greenway MP Michelle Rowlands outside Schofields train station where commuter parking is a big problem.

A STATE Government report which has overlooked new carpark spaces for Schofields train station has been criticised for “lacking empathy”.

The report, Commuter Car Parking in NSW, was released by the Committee on Transport and Infrastructure recently and detailed which commuter carparks would be expanded.

The report did not include any plans for the busy Schofields train station, which is often congested and sees some commuters park up to 1km away to catch the train.

The station opened in 2011 with 230 parking spaces and no new spaces have been added since despite regular calls to improve the dire situation.

The carpark at Schofields train station in Schofields is often congested.

Greenway federal Labor MP Michelle Rowland criticised the recent report after submissions poured in from across her electorate.

The report said residents needed to understand funding was finite.

“The committee received a very large number of submissions which called for better or more plentiful commuter carparking in their area,” the report said.

“Unfortunately, with a finite level of funding, not all of these areas will be provided with a new commuter carpark … it may be beneficial if people were able to better understand the criteria by which those car parks were prioritised.”

Commuters park along the road near Schofields train station. Some walk as much as a kilometre to the station.

Ms Rowland said while there were a lot of positives in the report she thought it was condescending to tell residents they needed to better understand the funding situation.

She said it had not offered residents any recognition for their immediate problem.

“Where I was disappointed is it lacked empathy for the immediate problem,” she said.

“If you live in the northwest in one of the new areas around Schofields then driving to the station is sometimes the only option … it is not like you have all these other options available to you.”

Transport for NSW said there was no set date for the next report.

“Commuter carparking prioritisation is undertaken as programs or strategies are being developed. There is no set time frame for the next prioritisation report.”

Transport for NSW said an additional 60 commuter carparking spaces announced two years ago for Schofields train station were still in the pipeline and would be delivered.