Parking policy a revenue raiser

After some eighteen months of discussions, submission and surveys the Depart-ment of Transport, under the guise of its Perth Parking Policy, has achieved its objective of finding yet another method to raise revenue, this time by taxing private tenant parking.

Under the new policy, Perth property owners (and later West Perth, East Perth and Northbridge owners) have been given the exclusive right to pay for the upgrading and maintenance of the Central Area Transport system provided ‘free’ by the government, in partnership with the City of Perth, to the general public.

The new legislation will come into effect in mid-July at which time all non-residential parking within the Perth parking Manage-ment Area will have to be licenced. Owners will be required to pay an annual statutory charge, referred in the Act as a licence fee, of $750 per motor vehicle bay per year ($35 for motor cycle bays).

Property owners will be required to register the number of parking bays they have current planning approvals for when making their initial application for a parking licence.

Liability for the licence fee will be effective from the commencement of the legislation in July.

However, to allow property owners time to adjust to the new requirements, in September the State Revenue Department will issue owners with an application form for completion and return to the Department. An assessment notice will then be issued. Payment will be due by 1 January 2000.

The Department of Transport has written to all Perth property owners with initial information. An information hotline has also been set up, the number for which is 9322 9475, and a number of information forums are also planned.

The Property Council information forum will be held on Tuesday 20 July. For further details contact Tanya on 9321 1156.

Oh, a final word in response to the Mini-ster for Transport’s statement that we shouldn’t be too concerned about the new tax.

Mr Criddle said the rate is the lowest in Australia. Sydney has a tenant parking bay fee of $400.

The Minister forgot to mention that Sydney is the only other capital city with such a fee. No other capital has this tax.

So I guess that makes the Perth tenant parking fee the second highest in the land.