Page 3461 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 22 August 2018
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
In this year’s budget we have purchased an additional two licence plate recognition cameras and vans to better patrol parking across Canberra. These are in addition to the two we already have patrolling the streets of Canberra. These are particularly useful in patrolling timed spaces at local shops. In addition, there are funds for an additional four staff to operate the LPR cameras—a driver and a camera operator—and 3.25 full-time equivalent staff to resource the additional adjudications and payment plans resulting from the increased infringements.
For reference, in July our current LPR vans issued 2,173 fines to ensure safe and equitable parking across Canberra. There were 7,162 parking infringements in total in July across both our foot patrols and the LPR vans. I draw to the attention of Ms Lee and the Assembly that when parking enforcement happens with the LPR vans the infringement notices are mailed out afterwards, so people will not necessarily see the little yellow envelope and know that an enforcement has taken place. But certainly significant numbers of infringements are being enforced. I encourage people to join Ms Lawder as a frequent flyer user of fix my street to report parking issues when they arise.
The government is also commissioning a study into the implementation of smart mobility permits aimed at reducing the misuse of those permits. Currently permits are paper based, with the holder’s details printed on them. The holder of a valid mobility permit is entitled to untimed free parking within all ACT government-owned parking bays. Parking inspectors currently manually determine if a permit is legitimate and current. However, they cannot detect if there are several permits with the same identification number, and the potential for fraudulent use of multiple permits results in a lack of access to disabled parking bays and potential revenue loss for the ACT government.
The newly implemented LPR cameras are a more efficient means of undertaking parking enforcement. However, they cannot at this stage detect a paper permit on the dashboard of a car. Digitising these permits will enable the new licence plate cameras to recognise the permits and therefore not issue erroneous infringements.
Technologies such as Bluetooth and radio frequency identification, or RFID, will be investigated to determine the best solution. We have also recently raised the fines for parking in an accessibility space to ensure that our local shops are accessible for those who are mobility impaired, and that now attracts a fine of $600.
Ms Lee can rest assured that Access Canberra parking inspectors are indeed out there, ensuring there is equitable access to our local shops to ensure all of the Canberra community can stop in to grab the groceries they need, a coffee or a brunch or their favourite local takeaway.
MRS KIKKERT (Ginninderra) (4.40): I thank Ms Lee for bringing this motion before the Assembly today. I wish to say a few words in its support. As a member of Ginninderra I am proud to represent the people of Belconnen in this Assembly. Most of the suburbs in my electorate were designed around local shopping centres or, in some cases, a group centre. The local shops are typically well connected to the rest of
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video