NEWCASTLE's parking mad are everywhere.
You'll find them venting their frustration through letters to the editor, blah blah blahing on talkback radio and venting loudly about "nightmare" parking scenarios at the coffee shop.
City of Newcastle (CoN) are often in the firing line of sprays about parking, whereas Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation and its evil twin Transport for NSW often escape totally unscathed during such outbursts. CoN cop the pile-on for all things parking.
But CoN do warrant criticism for dropping the ball on maintaining contemporary parking strategy for Newcastle that reflects the massive changes to the city in the last decade, but especially the past five years. Overseeing the elimination of parking stations in the city while not responding with updated policy is not a strategy, nor is neglecting to address regulatory inconsistencies - sometimes in the same street - while banging on about sustainability and wanting citizens to walk, cycle or use public transport.
Paid parking is to the Novocastrian what kryptonite is to Superman. And free parking is a massive misnomer. There are many costs associated with free parking - it's just that they're not immediately borne by the user, so they remain invisible. Free parking should never be conflated with no-cost parking.
It's possible that the Novocastrian DNA contains a dominant gene that opposes ever shelling a shekel for parking. That same gene may also trick the brain into believing there will be plenty of unrestricted parking at Merewether Baths on Boxing Day arvo when there's not a cloud in the sky. The only vaccine for this belief is to impose cost. And that will be about as popular as passing wind in a scrum. There's a local government election in less than a year.
Much of the free parking in the city CBD and outskirts is snaffled by commuters by 7am. Novocastrians will happily do laps of Shortland Esplanade, even at the new speed of 30km/h, while cutting silent deals with St. Christopher for the holy grail - a rock-star park which is defined as such because it is unrestricted and pretty much out the front of the desired destination.
On the same night CoN councillors voted for the rezoning and reclassification of the Boat Harbour Car Park and adjoining rail corridor allotment at 233 Wharf Road, they also agreed to subject the draft parking plan - On the street: A plan to better manage parking in the Newcastle LGA (2021-2030) - to public exhibition for further input.
The document doesn't shy away from CoN's regulatory failings. Of course, "best practice" and "evidence-based decision making" get the obligatory mention, and there's no prize for guessing that initial consultation with stakeholders has identified plenty of problems.
Parking supply and demand throughout the area from Hamilton East through to Nobbys and south to Cooks Hill, and the Hamilton and The Junction commercial areas has been undertaken. This assessment "indicates that perceived parking issues in Newcastle are related to management, rather than lack of supply."
The document acknowledges CoN "have failed to manage knock on effects of parking restrictions applied on a street basis, in lieu of a more comprehensive area-wide approach. Drivers can park free of charge in many streets adjacent the Newcastle City Centre and in high demand areas such as Cooks Hill (e.g. Darby Street), The Junction (e.g. Union Street, Kenrick Street, Glebe Road) and Hamilton (e.g. Beaumont Street, Tudor Street, Donald Street). These are areas with relatively good public transport access. Free parking in these locations undermines efforts to encourage mode shift and contributes to more congestion as drivers cruise for a space."
CEO Jeremy Bath writes "a holistic approach is how we will 'flip the power' from a narrow perspective focused on vehicles, to a broader perspective focused on people." Maybe Public Enemy's Fight the Power can be reworked by the Newcastle People's Chorus to Flip the Power.
On the street is a clear and focused document that doesn't recoil from the many challenges ahead in implementing cultural change, managing expectations and "mode shift".
The "true" costs of parking are rarely apparent. The document acknowledges that true costs "include land and construction costs, subsidies to cars over other modes, externality costs (pollution, congestion from traffic cruising) and opportunity costs."
Recovering the "true" costs of parking and removing large amounts of unrestricted parking will take some time for attitude adjustment for Novocastrians.
The "true" costs of parking are rarely apparent.
You can view the draft Parking Plan on CoN's website and have your say until Monday 25 January 2021.
Paul Scott is a lecturer in the School of Creative Industries at the University of Newcastle.
