Page 552 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 19 February 2020
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timed parking spaces. In addition, the ACT has some of the most generous provisions for obtaining a permit compared with other jurisdictions, some of which limit the issue of permits to those with a physical inability to walk at all.
Unfortunately, there are indications that some misuse of the scheme may be occurring in the ACT and may be incentivised by the generous provision of free parking in government car parks. Additional permit validity enforcement crosschecks were introduced in February 2019 to help to address this. Since then Access Canberra parking operations has issued 747 infringements for people using expired or cancelled mobility permits and 43 infringements for people using fake permits. Additionally, in December 2019 the ACT government introduced a new offence for the display of a duplicate, defaced, altered or damaged mobility parking permit within the ACT, which carries a fine of $615.
I acknowledge that through our endeavours to exceed the minimum requirements for disability parking in government car parks there is a noticeable inconsistency between the concessions and conditions of use in private and government-owned car parks. Other jurisdictions, such as Parramatta, have reduced this inconsistency by allowing free parking and extra time for on-street parking but not providing these concessions in off-street car parks.
The government has previously considered options to better support mobility parking permit holders in private car parks. However, governments cannot legally require commercial car park operators to provide free parking to disability permit holders. The primary lever government has to influence disability parking in private car parks is through the development assessment process, which specifies disability parking provision rates. However, disability parking permit holders are still required to comply with the conditions of use of those car parks, which may include the payment of fees. Another difficulty with requiring private car park operators to provide free disability parking is enforcement. For privacy reasons, private car parks do not have full access to details about the validity of disability parking permits.
As minister, I am committed to making sure that the government’s vision for Canberra as an inclusive city that is welcoming for all is reflected in the provision of a range of appropriate support for transport and parking options. We recognise that public transport cannot always meet the mobility needs of every Canberran, and as such the disability parking scheme serves to provide priority access for those that need it most. I am pleased to advise that a review of the scheme is currently underway to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of disability permit holders. The feedback you have provided about the challenges permit holders are facing when seeking to use disabled parking spaces in private car parks will be a valuable input to the process.
As indicated, I have circulated an amendment in my name, primarily to remove paragraph (1)(f) of the motion, simply because the government does not believe that there is any evidence to support that part of the motion. I thank Ms Lee for raising this matter. We will table a response to the matters raised by her motion by 30 June 2020. I move:
Omit paragraph (1)(f).
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