Parking Problems

04 Nov Parking Problems

Dear Here to Help,

Why is it that every summer, parking becomes such a heated issue? People seem to park wherever they want, fight over parking spots, park along yellow lines, shout at one another,… The beach and lake seem to be the biggest source of parking woes. People park along the yellow lines, turning two way routes into one-way routes. Other people forward park into spots people are in the process of reverse parking into. Arguments get heated.

Surely, government can facilitate a better way to enjoy a summer outing to the beach or lake?

Thank you for your query.

Government puts a lot of effort into working out the best ways to keep people moving safely in our towns and cities. This includes parking, roads, public transport and pathways.

Many of these things are looked after by local Council. For example, Newcastle City Council adopted a Parking Plan in 2021, aligned to its Newcastle 2040 goals. All these documents are publicly available.

State Government is responsible for parking fines and managing major roads.

Part of changing parking rules involves stakeholder engagement. Keep an eye on your Council’s website for consultation opportunities. There may be media announcements or letterbox drops in relevant areas, but there may not – most government consultation opportunities appear online.

If you see something that’s not right, you can contact Council here. Council will consider your feedback, including about parking rules.

You can also contact NSW Police. For example, if you witness escalating, heated arguments over parking spots and/or parked cars are blocking access to parking bays or the road.

This article comes from my column entitled “Here to Help” in Hunter Local, November 2023. If you have an everyday problem just begging for a simple, real world solution, send it to “Here to Help” and let’s see what we can achieve.

Elaine Abery has a closet full of great ideas and empowering solutions. She’s also the Director of Unravelling Red Tape, a company dedicated to helping everyday people, not-for-profits and companies change the world through improved decision-making and legislation.