Call for car park spend
Its high time Holdfast Bay Council spent its own money to help fix Glenelgs lack of parking, prominent developer Andrew Taplin says.
Mr Taplin has called on the council to use its $3 million car parking fund to provide more off-street parking and to relieve the blocked artery at the heart of the Bay. Quite clearly theres a need for it, he said. Glenelg trades on weekends, school and public holidays and summer ... if people cant park easily in the precinct, they wont come here. Mr Taplin said the council was sitting on part of the solution with about $3 million in the Glenelg Access Strategy Fund, established in part to provide off-street parking in the precinct.
He said the money collected from developer contributions and ticket machine revenue should be used to develop the existing carparks off Partridge St as either more general or deck parking space if required. He intended to contact Holdfast Bay CEO Justin Lynch and Mayor Ken Rollond about the issue. Id be keen to present my ideas on how we can overcome any problems, and if they want my involvement Ill be there, he said. I believe the council and private enterprise need to work together to create an end objective.
Mr Rollond, who campaigned heavily on the issue at the last two local government elections, said he wholeheartedly agreed with Mr Taplin, and would be happy to meet him. Its something which I have brought up constantly, he said. Council must at some stage do something with the money it has taken off people rather than just having it sitting in the bank. But he said any decision rested with the councillors, rather than with himself or the councils administration.
The real reason why nothing has been done is because its dependent on the current councillors, and they wont support it. Mr Lynch said there were no plans for the fund at present. Jetty Road Mainstreet Management Committee (JRMMC) chairman Bruce Grindlay said a recent council study indicated parking was available in the precinct. Parking is never 100 per cent full but you have to be prepared to do some walking, he said. Mr Grindlay said the JRMMC was working with the council to develop a long-term plan for parking at the Bay.
He said the money collected from developer contributions and ticket machine revenue should be used to develop the existing carparks off Partridge St as either more general or deck parking space if required. He intended to contact Holdfast Bay CEO Justin Lynch and Mayor Ken Rollond about the issue. Id be keen to present my ideas on how we can overcome any problems, and if they want my involvement Ill be there, he said. I believe the council and private enterprise need to work together to create an end objective.
Mr Rollond, who campaigned heavily on the issue at the last two local government elections, said he wholeheartedly agreed with Mr Taplin, and would be happy to meet him. Its something which I have brought up constantly, he said. Council must at some stage do something with the money it has taken off people rather than just having it sitting in the bank. But he said any decision rested with the councillors, rather than with himself or the councils administration.
The real reason why nothing has been done is because its dependent on the current councillors, and they wont support it. Mr Lynch said there were no plans for the fund at present. Jetty Road Mainstreet Management Committee (JRMMC) chairman Bruce Grindlay said a recent council study indicated parking was available in the precinct. Parking is never 100 per cent full but you have to be prepared to do some walking, he said. Mr Grindlay said the JRMMC was working with the council to develop a long-term plan for parking at the Bay.
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