Woy Woy Commuter carpark site finally revealed

The site for the new Woy Woy Commuter carpark has been finally revealed, three years after the project was first announced.

The carpark will be an extension of the existing Transport for NSW-owned car park on Railway St, southwest of the station.

The announcement was made on March 24, nine months after the community was first promised to receive the concept designs.

Transport for NSW expects to commence construction “by the end of 2022” however details on its completion date could not be confirmed.

Details on further funding or design specifications could also not be confirmed.

Federal Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks, who first announced the project just prior to the last election in March 2019, said the long-awaited $5M project is expected to create 140 parking spaces.

Prior to the onset of COVID, it was not unusual for the existing commuter car parks to be completely full by 7:30am.

For many commuters, the announcement presents as another hollow promise, but Wicks said that “partners in government” had made it a challenging process.

“We’ve been able to deliver the funding but then working with our partners in government to make sure this project is completed has been one that has not been without its challenges,” Wicks said.

“We are investing to reduce congestion and to ensure Central Coast commuters get home sooner and safer, including encouraging greater use of public transport.”

A new shared footpath will be installed to connect commuters from the car park to the station with the project also to include new signage and line markings, new streetlights and CCTV on the footpath for the safety of pedestrians.

Federal Minister for Urban Infrastructure, Paul Fletcher, said the impact of construction on commuters will be assessed during the detailed design phase.

“There is always a lead time when it comes to infrastructure projects – there is a need to do the detail and planning work … we’ve identified the optimum site looking at issues like cost, how quickly it can be delivered, and being within property owned by Transport for NSW,” Fletcher said.

“There have been a number of factors and complexities in relation to this extension of commuter carparking and inevitably, it’s an iterative process as you identify potential sites.

“The precise timing [of construction] will depend upon some more detailed planning work but based upon other commuter carparks around the country, typically for a project of this scale, it can often be built in less than 12 months, and we can be confident that the construction will not be more than 24 months.”

It’s a project that has been marred with uncertainty and allegations of illegitimacy after the Australian National Audit Office’s (ANAO) report identified the car park would cost more than $210,000 per space under the Urban Congestion Fund, which is 430 per cent above the benchmark figure.

However, Fletcher said this is not the case.

“The figures quoted in the Auditor General’s report took one of a number of options and came up with a number that was much higher on a per-spot basis than was ever realistically likely to be the true cost,” Fletcher said.

“What I can say is that the cost per-sport of the commuter carparking will be materially less, markedly less, than the numbers quoted in the report.”

Fletcher could not confirm if the Federal Government would need to commit more funding to the project due to “further planning and development work to do.”

The ANAO report also identified the Department of Infrastructure had looked at three other potential sites –an existing carpark opposite The Pavilion, an existing carpark next to the Peninsula Plaza, and existing carparks opposite Woy Woy Oval.

The Peninsula Chamber of Commerce welcomed the final site selection but said commuter parking, whilst necessary, has a net negative impact on the Woy Woy town centre.

“Whilst the Chamber welcomes the news, we still maintain that more emphasis should be placed on public transport connections and kiss-and-ride facilities rather than simply adding yet more car parking to an already overstretched town centre,” Chamber president, Matthew Wales, said.

“The Chamber also wants to see both the NSW State Government and the Commonwealth invest more funds into business and job creation programs that facilitate employment opportunities in our main town centres, particularly Woy Woy where redevelopment has been sadly lacking.

“Creating high quality jobs locally will take the pressure off local residents needing to travel into Sydney for employment.

“Ultimately, commuters do not significantly contribute to the local Woy Woy economy as they simply want to get to and from work as quickly as possible – they do not spend significant dollars in town.”

The Chamber said they are “actively encouraging” Central Coast Council to push forward with the Woy Woy town centre planning review and new Place Plan so that revitalisation programs and redevelopment can be planned for the future.

At the last election, the Federal Government also committed to a $30M commuter carpark at Gosford Station however planning appears to have stalled there also, with no details yet available on timelines or its concept design.

Fletcher said the Federal Government is “continuing to work through” the plans for the Gosford carpark.

It’s an issue that has riled up Wicks’ opposition with Labor Candidate for Robertson, Gordon Reid, hitting out at the Federal Government for their “mismanagement.”

“It’s typical of this government where they will say they are going to do something, and they don’t follow through with that commitment,” Reid said.

“This is becoming tiresome for the residents of the Central Coast, who are continually forgotten.” 

“It’s all just words and spin.”

Independent Candidate for Robertson, Vania Holt, also questioned the transparency surrounding the project.

“Robertson was originally promised two brand new car parks – one in Gosford, the other in Woy Woy – and now commuters are expected to be satisfied with an extension to existing facilities in Woy Woy only,” Holt said.

“Added to the fact that there has only been a vague construction schedule announced, it is a farce for Liberals to claim they are the party of infrastructure, just as it is a farce for them to claim competency in economic management, health, the environment and national security.

“The only thing the commuters of Robertson can see are the reverse lights of yet another undelivered promise.”

Maisy Rae

This story was published prior to the extra funding announcement made by the Federal Government in the 2022 Budget.