- Improved and modernised Perth Parking Management Act introduced into State Parliament
- Act was introduced nearly 25 years ago to reduce inner-city congestion
- Changes include the ability to fund a wider range of initiatives that benefit CBD businesses and residents
- New laws will allow for the introduction of differential rates to encourage development
- New requirements for spending to be published in the Department of Transport Annual Report
The State Government has today introduced new legislation to the WA Parliament that will improve and modernise the Perth Parking Management Act 1999 and the administration of the Perth Parking Levy.
The Act and accompanying policies were introduced in 1999 to help mitigate congestion created by people travelling into the city by car.
When the policy was introduced, roughly 66 per cent of trips into the CBD were made by car, which has now reduced to around 45 per cent. In the same period, the percentage of people using public transport to travel into the CBD has increased from 30 per cent to 45 per cent.
The amendments being proposed represent the first changes to the Act since it was introduced nearly 25 years ago, and address concerns/feedback provided by stakeholders.
The Bill makes a number of changes that will support businesses operating in the CBD by cutting red tape and reducing ambiguities and risks including:
- the ability to introduce differential rates for the parking levy;
- new powers to waive fees in extraordinary circumstances;
- the ability to waive fees for up to three years where required to facilitate development with the Perth central area;
- allowing the Minister to pre-authorise new parking at development approval stage, providing greater certainty to proponents; and
- clear legislative authority and processes to allow temporary parking, including parking for construction and special events.
The changes would also provide more flexibility in how levy funds can be invested including:
- non-transport projects that provide an economic benefit or improve urban amenity in the CBD, for example, works associated with a new Perth Convention Centre;
- the ability to declare ancillary areas to ensure projects that expand beyond the Perth Parking Management area can be funded from the levy (ancillary areas can only be in local governments that directly adjoin the Perth Parking Management area and on projects that are primarily located within and to the benefit of the CBD); and
- traffic management for events that deliver economic benefits to the CBD.
After consultation with stakeholders, the Government has also sought to improve transparency by including a legislative requirement for expenditure from the Perth parking management account to be reported in the annual report of the Department of Transport.
In recent years, the levy has helped fund a number of key projects, including the Roe Street Enhancement, expansion of CAT services to Kings Park, Matagarup Bridge and the Causeway Pedestrian and Cycling Bridge.
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Our Government has a strong record of investing in our City,whether it be in cultural assets, transport infrastructure of major events.
The Perth Parking Levy has always been about minimising congestion in our inner-city by discouraging people from driving to the CBD and encouraging other modes like public transport. The levy has been enormously successful in achieving those outcomes and will continue to do so in the future.
"These changes are about modernising the laws and addressing known deficiencies in how the Act and levy are administered.
"The reforms we are introducing will allow us to invest levy funds on a wider range of initiatives that directly benefit CBD businesses and residents, and provide a social or economic benefit, such as better community assets and infrastructure.
"They'll also deliver important changes that have been called for by industry, like the introduction of differential rates and the ability of the Minister to waive fees, which is not currently possible."
