This Just In: A Sydney Council Has Announced Plans to Scrap Free Parking in Seven Beloved Beaches
The millions of Sydneysiders who head to Randwick for its beaches will need to start paying for parking under this new proposal.
Randwick Council has become the latest Sydney coastal council to bring the hammer down on free parking availability in its beach carparks, with a proposal to raise funding for beach facilities by enacting paid parking in all seven of the beaches within its jurisdiction — being Clovelly, Coogee, Maroubra, Malabar, Little Bay, La Perouse and Yarra Bay.
In the council pamphlet on the proposal, it's outlined that Randwick Council spends $23 million annually on upkeep of the beaches, divided between lifeguard services, beach cleaning, rubbish collection, park maintenance, coastal infrastructure and public amenities. It also outlines that collectively, the beaches draw nine million visitors every year — 56 to 84 percent of which are from outside the Randwick LGA, depending on the beach.
The pamphlet also outlines which LGA's the beaches draw visitors from, with Clovelly, Coogee, Malabar and Maroubra drawing visitors mostly from Sydney, Bayside and Inner West LGAs, while Little Bay and Frenchman's beaches also attract crowds from Canterbury-Bankstown.
Sydney's other major coastal councils, including Waverley, Northern Beaches, and Mosman, all enforce paid parking on their beaches, with exclusions made for residents who apply for a permit. The proposed change in Randwick will "bring Randwick's beaches into line" with those aforementioned areas, which charge non-residents as much as $11.60 an hour for beach carparks.
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Mayor of Randwick, Dylan Parker, said, "Our beaches belong to everyone, and everyone is welcome to enjoy them. But it's only fair that people who visit our beaches also contribute to the cost of maintaining them. Right now, local ratepayers carry most of that cost, even though the bulk of beach users in summer are visitors. That's not fair or sustainable in the long term."
"Providing beaches that are clean, safe and inviting is a significant cost for locals alone to bear. This proposal is about ensuring we can fairly continue serving the needs of all beachgoers. I encourage everyone to look out for the information in your letterbox and encourage you to have your say," Mayor Parker added. The proposal is open to community feedback from now until Wednesday, April 14.
Image: Steven Tritton
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