Could paid parking at the Conservation Hut be the answer to the woes of residents of South Wentworth Falls whose streets near world class lookouts have been overwhelmed by visitors on many weekends?
Possibly not. But it’s just one of the suggestions being mooted as part of the Blue Mountains Council Citywide Parking Strategic Plan 2018 to tackle the popular tourist destinations dealing with high demand in parking.
The citywide parking strategy, approved at the March 27 council meeting, says some 3 million tourists visit the Blue Mountains region annually and this is predicted to increase to 4.5 million by 2025. Residents “are effectively subsidising visitor infrastructure” the report says, and implementation of paid parking to high tourist areas like the Wentworth Falls Lookout, could be phased in over the next decade. Residents will be exempt from charges.
A 2015/2016 weekend parking audit around Wentworth Falls National Park and the Conservation Hut found the 61 and 27 parking spaces respectively, were at 100 per cent capacity. Identifying potential sites for an increase in tourist bus visits in those areas, as well as working with the National Parks and Wildlife Service to create additional parking options, are also being considered.
Nearby resident, Marty Monks, said the whole area “was designed without the thought of how popular it would become … [and] there now seems to be limited options to increase parking capacity”.
“After living here for 20 years [near the Conservation Hut], it seems there are more people than ever using the national park, both from our end [Fletcher Street] and also the picnic area at Wentworth Falls.
But Mr Monks said he was “not keen on a paid parking area at the Hut … it will discourage tourism and annoy tourists and would simply push more cars out further into the surrounding streets further annoying residents”.
“I don’t really know what the solution is … maybe more parking rangers booking stupidly parked cars (which happens too often) – cars deliberately parking right in front of no stopping signs … or over driveways.”
He said extra No Stopping signs had helped ease problems in the last year in Fletcher Street.
“It is a pretty extreme tourism area on weekends where we live, but rightly so, due to what is here. At our last meeting with [Councillor] Romola [Hollywood], there was talk of re-designing the current car park at the Hut so as to accommodate more cars in a better designed parking area. Maybe that would help a little. ”
Another resident, Ransford Elsley from Wilson Street, said the community had grown tired of blocked driveways, visitors ignoring no stopping signs, and the invariable road rage. Falls Road traffic also needed slowing down, he added.
Mr Elsley said tourists were not only creating traffic chaos, but some were defecating in his garden and leaving rubbish.
Ward 2 Cr Romola Hollywood said she moved an urgency motion in April 2016 in response to South Wentworth Falls residents’ concerns about parking and pedestrian safety issues on that Anzac Day.
"Since then council has undertaken a range of actions including meeting with National Parks, adjusting some traffic signage and better defining some parking bays. One of the further commitments, following my representations on behalf of residents, was to include South Wentworth Falls in the development of our Citywide Parking Strategy.
“South Wentworth Falls has been identified as a priority parking precinct … this means over the coming months studies, community consultation and planning will begin to look at options to improve traffic flow, parking and pedestrian safety. Effective community consultation will be vital to ensure we develop plans that appropriately balance the needs of residents and tourists while protecting the character of this beautiful part of the Blue Mountains."
Residents who met with the Gazette recently to air their concerns also suggested rangers be hired contractually during the school holidays, to book illegal parkers.
Paid parking further afield:
Parking in towns and commuter parking has increased dramatically from 2010 to 2016 which indicates strong retail health, according to Blue Mountains Council’s Citywide Parking Strategic Plan. But the report says increase in demand meant “the commuter carparks at Hazelbrook, Katoomba and Lawson [were] reportedly full and complaints received regarding commuters parking in residential areas in Blaxland and Glenbrook”. For example, Blaxland commuter parking has increased in demand from 83 per cent in 2010/2012 to 99 per cent in 2015/2016.
Ward 2 Labor Cr Romola Hollywood said the council will now work on a parking precinct plan for Wentworth Falls tourist destinations, as well as the village itself and also Blackheath, Katoomba, Leura, Lawson, Springwood, Blaxland and Glenbrook town centres – looking into pay and display parking in popular visitor towns and consider expanding the existing electronic sensor parking at Leura.
Council earns $1 million in revenue each year from the 29 parking metres at Echo Point.
