Recent controversy about a temporary 500-space car park to be located on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, adjacent to the futsal slab, has again highlighted the urgent need for long term solutions to Canberra’s worsening parking shortages.
A critical shortage in car parking in some of the town centres, and particularly in Civic, has occurred as available surface car spaces have disappeared as a result of new construction activity and as a number of Commonwealth Government agencies have relocated into the city.
Property Council of Australia ACT Executive Director, Catherine Carter, said that the Property Council has long advocated that action needs to be taken to address the under-supply of temporary parking spaces and longer term parking supply.
“In particular, we have asked the Territory Government to commence work to create several additional temporary car parks on sites including the ACTION bus lay-over on University Avenue, the Floriade overflow parking site and the gravel areas surrounding Braddon oval. We have also suggested that the Government hold discussions with the ANU about possible options to use currently un-used sites within the ANU campus,” Ms Carter said.
“The Property Council supports temporary car parking arrangements on the Floriade overflow parking site, as one of several sites which should be made available for parking, but only as a short-term interim measure until permanent car parking structures can be built in Civic.”
One of the development conditions on the development of the Section 63 site in the city is a requirement to construct 1,000 publicly accessible car parks, as well as meeting the car parking requirements for any development that takes place on that site. The Property Council believes that once this car parking structure has been built, then the temporary lakeside car park should no longer be required.
“However, the Property Council’s view is that the car parking shortage will continue to worsen as a number of current and proposed developments are completed and when currently vacant buildings (such as Anzac Park East and West) are occupied.
“While the Property Council and the Government may disagree on the actual size of the shortfall, both parties seem to agree that there is a shortfall and that it would be to Civic’s disadvantage, as the retail and commercial heart of Canberra, if that was jeopardised by a lack of adequate car parking preventing access to the city centre,” Ms Carter said.
For further information contact:
Catherine Carter, Executive Director, 02 6248 6902 or 0412 330 079
