Sydney council ditches controversial beach parking meter plan

A Sydney council has dropped its controversial plan to introduce parking meters for visitors at some of the city’s most popular beaches following months of vocal opposition.

In February, Randwick Council flagged installing parking meters for visitors at eastern suburbs beaches including Coogee, Clovelly, and Maroubra.

It provoked a wave of criticism including rallies, emails and community doorknocks and on Tuesday night even a watered-down plan was voted down.

Parking meter critics chanted outside the council building and more than 200 inside the chamber broke into loud applause after the votes were tallied.

Keep Randwick Beaches Free campaigner Anni Haque said almost 12,000 people had signed petitions against the meters, including more than 1700 since the adjusted plan was proposed. 

She said she’d been “moved by genuine and deep feelings” among hundreds of comments.

Read more

Beachside Sydney council waters down parking meters plan after backlash

“Charging visitors sets an us and them mentality up, which is socially unjust, unAustralian and unaligned with council’s own values,” she told Tuesday night’s meeting.

“There’s a cost of living hit for both visitors and locals, and there’s a forever stressful meter-feeding culture. 

“There’s proven damage in other LGAs (local government areas) to small business, and there’s no community trust in the revised plan.

“ … There’s metre creep and permit creep, the Bondification fear. A meter anywhere is a meter everywhere, is how we feel. They spread like a virus.”

Some councillors had earlier argued the meters were needed to fund the $23 million the council spent maintaining beaches and coastal services.

Sara Stacer from Better Streets described herself as an expert in parking reform but made a more personal case for meters, telling the story of her mum’s broken hip and how the family would sometimes give up on going to the beach altogether because they couldn’t find a close park.

She said free parking meant high-demand spaces filled up and stayed full, while meters would increase turnover and access.

“Equity is not a guarantee of free premium parking right on the beachfront for people who choose to drive from outside the local government area,” she said.

“Equity is making sure our local residents have fair access, so an older person recovering from surgery can safely reach the sea, so families with screaming toddlers who genuinely need close access have a better chance of finding it.

“Equity means my kids can safely ride their bikes to school and walk to their friends’ houses.”

The council had met to consider a plan to add 1400 parking meters – less than half the original number – and give unlimited permits to residents, up from one per household.

But instead the Liberal, Greens and independent councillors joined to pass a motion ditching the paid parking plan entirely.

“You’ve told us loud and clear, you don’t want paid parking, that’s it,” Liberal councillor Christie Hamilton said.

“So we’re going to knock it out. So knock out paid parking. 

“Let’s look at all other options. Let’s look at what else we can come up with. 

“How else can we come up with additional funds if we need additional funds?”

The council’s general manager will look at alternative funding for coastal infrastructure, write to the state government about boosting public transport and look at other “parking management solutions” to improve access and turnover without charging.

Labor councillor Aaron Magner argued the current setup was effectively asking locals to subsidise parking for people from outside the council, which he said made up about 56 to 85 per cent of beach visitors.

“This council must confront an inconvenient truth that there’s no such thing as free parking. Every free beach space is paid for by someone,” he said.

“It’s paid for by the ratepayers of Randwick, and it’s paid for by the renter and pensioner who don’t own a car. 

“It’s paid for by the people that our speakers spoke about tonight that aren’t able to drive.”

The motion passed 10 to five with only the Labor councillors voting against.