Mosman Council’s parking crackdown

Mosman Council has resolved to adopt recommendations that will see an increase in parking enforcement and changes to parking time limits. 

The recommendations come from a report prepared in response to stakeholder engagement that saw Council consult with local retailers, the Mosman Chamber of Commerce, and councillors regarding the parking situation.

Council decided in June to use its parking sensors to switch on the purple lights in carparks to identify overstayers and to make all parking in Vista Street carpark three hours. 

Council also concluded there should be an analysis to be undertaken of the impact of converting unrestricted parking spaces in Gouldsbury Street and Myahgah Road to 2P. 

On the amendment of Councillors Cook and Moline, Council agreed the commencement of changes be subject to a two-month education program and grace period in order to alert locals. 

However, long-term opponent to the changes, Cr Simon Menzies, along with Cr Bendall and Cr Willoughby immediately moved for the carried motion to be rescinded. As such, Council reconsidered the matter at the July meeting, where a resolution was again passed. 

Cr Menzies, who was forced to leave Chamber during the July vote due to his heated contesting of the motion, says he is disappointed with Council’s decision. 

“We don’t have an overstay problem. We have over 90 percent compliance, which would make this approach unnecessary,” he tells North Shore Living. 

“Recently, there has been several closures of shops that have been in place for decades. Mosman Junction is facing a retail recession, and Council targeting parking fines is an approach that will only make a bad situation worse by deterring shoppers and sending them to the larger complexes, such as Warringah Mall.”