Parking strategy does not include council car parks

Letters to the editorLetters to the editor

[Forum] It’s wonderful to see Central Coast Council are finally considering a parking strategy.

While I do find a number of the options suggested quite unusual, considering they are on private property and not Council owned, it puzzles me as to why there was no consideration of the Council carparks being used. Surely this would be an option?

The Council car parks are close to the train station and aren’t always full. Surely, if Council staff making these decisions as to the ability to find carparks were thrown into the same situation as other residents, the issue of parking would be addressed and all would be assured of a park, when needed, close to their train or place of work. Surely rate payers can’t be expected to cover the costs of Council staff having a carpark at their doorstep while ratepayers are expected to walk over a kilometre to their car after hours of commuting.

How can it possibly be, next to the Gosford Library there is a special car park for library staff? Surely Council staff are no different to the taxation office staff. It is my understanding that taxation staff are not permitted to park in the building they work in because they would have to pay fringe benefits tax. With all the staff working in the taxation office, surely having them park in the building they work in would help alleviate the parking fiasco we currently have?

Email, Oct 24 Joy Cooper, Green Point