City of Perth parking up $2 for long-term bays in July

Parking in City of Perth car parks will rise by up to $2 from July 1, in a move the City ways will enable it to meet rising costs and provide better, more accesssible parking facilities.

Fees for all short-stay parking in both car parks and kerbside parking will rise by 10 cents per hour, while long term parking will rise by 30 cents to 50 cents per day. Long-stay parking in Citiplace, Concert Hall, Pier Street and His Majesty's car parks will rise by $2 per day.

City of Perth Chief Executive Officer Frank Edwards said the spur in economic activity in the city had significantly increased the demand for parking.

"Introducing a higher rate for long-stay parking in what are designed to be high-turnover car parks should have the effect of freeing up much needed spaces for short-stay parkers, such as shoppers and people visiting the city on business," he said.

This could compensate for the shortage of parking bays in the city, which may worsen if plans by the City of Perth to demolish its 490-bay Elder Street car park go ahead this year.

As reported in WA Business News last Thursday,Council intends to double the capacity of the two-storey car park, next to the Hotel Grand Chancellor, providing a total of 1,000 new bays on the site.

The Council has further announced plans to introduce car-pooling incentives for its Roe Street car park as part of a strategy to reduce the number of cars coming into the city - with those concessions still to apply at the Queens Gardens and Mayfair Street car parks.

This will come with a new, cheaper overnight rate for Northbridge revellers to leave their cars in the city at the Roe Street car park, and the introduction of pre-paid fees at His Majesty's and Concert Hall car parks for those attending performances.

The full text of an announcement from the City of Perth is pasted below

In order to meet rising costs and to provide better, more accessible parking facilities, the City of Perth has announced increases in various off-street parking fees.

From July 1, fees, in general, for all short stay parking will rise by 10 cents per hour while long-stay (or commuter) parking in four central city shopper car parks - Citiplace, Concert Hall, Pier Street and His Majesty's - will rise by $2 per day.

Increases for long-term parking in other car parks will rise by 30c to 50c a day. The charge for on-street, or kerbside, parking will rise by 10c per hour.

City of Perth Chief Executive Officer Frank Edwards said the spur in economic activity in the city had significantly increased the demand for parking.

"Introducing a higher rate for long-stay parking in what are designed to be high-turnover car parks should have the effect of freeing up much needed spaces for short-stay parkers, such as shoppers and people visiting the city on business," he said.

"The advent of the Southern Suburbs Railway could also be expected to reduce the demand for long-stay parking."

Mr Edwards said the City's parking business faced higher operating costs and the City was also required to pay a parking levy to the State Government for every parking bay it operated. Currently the City pays $189 per pay, per year, for long-stay bays and $163.50 for short-stay bays.

The money raised by the levy goes to towards the cost of running the free CAT bus service together with the free buses and trains within the City's boundaries. An amount of $2.8 million will be paid by the City next year.

Mr Edwards stressed that rates charged by City of Perth parking were still generally lower than those of other operators.

He also said that city parkers would benefit from iniatives being introduced in the coming year.

"As part of the City's commitment to the environment, some $280,000 of revenue will be spent on planting about 86,000 trees in city and rural areas to offset carbon emissions generated by vehicles whose drivers come to the city to park," Mr Edwards said.

"Car-pooling incentives will be introduced at the Roe Street car park as part of a strategy to reduce the number of cars coming into the city. Car-pooling concessions will continue to apply at the Queens Gardens and Mayfair Street car parks.

"There will also be a cheap overnight rate at Roe Street for people who opt to leave their cars in the city after indulging in the city's nightlife.

"Another innovation is short-stay, pre-paid fees at His Majesty's and Concert Hall car parks for those attending performances at the theatre and the hall. This will have the added benefit of clearing the car parks more quickly after performances.

"With 32 car parks and 10,000 off-street bays, City of Perth Parking remains the best option for city parking."