Blue Mountains City Council endorsed the public exhibition of the Draft Parking Precincts Plan, that outlines the plan for nine high demand visitation sites that will also have smart parking infrastructure operational by November 2023.
These locations include:
• Cahill’s & Boar’s Head Lookouts, Katoomba
• Echo Point Precinct, Katoomba (expansion of existing)
• Katoomba Falls
• Gordon Falls, Leura
• Leura Cascades
• Wentworth Falls Lake
• Falls Road adjacent to Wentworth Falls Lookout
• Fletcher Street and Valley Road adjacent to Conservation Hut, Wentworth Falls
• Lincoln’s Rock, Wentworth Falls.
Blue Mountains Mayor, Cr Mark Greenhill, said: “The Draft Parking Precincts Plan will guide parking infrastructure improvements with short, medium and long-term solutions.
“The focus is on improving the management of existing parking areas, in these busy visitor areas, including improving the turnover of vehicles.”
Community consultation on the Citywide Parking Scheme in late 2022 showed that more than 71% of respondents agreed that Council should charge visitors to park in the Blue Mountains.
“We had strong agreement with the proposition that visitors should pay to park in key locations. Many people said they were surprised Council had not done this earlier.
“Visitor Pay Smart Parking is common across NSW, Australia and around the world. The Blue Mountains doesn’t have many other options to raise revenue, given we are surrounded by a National Park and have development restrictions.
“Plus, the City’s infrastructure needs major investment (at least $400 million) to be ‘Fit for Future’ and better withstand the effects of climate change.
“Grants and capital projects will only cover less than one third of the current need, and none of the additional maintenance needed in the future.
“A Citywide Parking Scheme, where visitors pay to park, will generate income for the City that we need to withstand the cost of increasing natural disasters and to fund maintenance, as well as the renewal of services, facilities and infrastructure.”
You can have your say on the Draft Parking Precincts Plan from 5 June until 17 July, 2023. Go to https://yoursay.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/
