Parking fees on way up

The City of Perth is considering higher parking fees, bigger fines and no weekend parking discounts - all because deregulated shopping hours have slashed its income from carparks.

The council's parking committee has recommended it increase fees by the maximum 6 per cent at its meeting tonight.

It comes after the latest budget review revealed the start of Sunday shopping in the suburbs had an "adverse impact" on off-street parking revenue.

The parking committee considered three options for parking fees in 2013-14 - no change, a 3 per cent increase or a 6 per cent increase, capped at $1 on the 10-hour rate.

It chose the 6 per cent increase, saying that would generally translate to a 20� to 30� increase per hour at most bays.

The committee also recommended that the "50 per cent for the first four hours of parking" discount on weekends be withdrawn and proposed a capped rate of $8 for selected carparks on Sundays only.

Its report said the new capped rate was intended to lure shoppers back to the city.

Currently, a shopper parking in His Majesty's carpark on Murray Street for four hours on a Sunday would spend $6.40, after the 50 per cent discount.

Under the new scheme, the same shopper would pay $8.

Down the road, private operator Wilson Parking charges $15 for parking for more than three hours on weekends.

City of Perth chief executive Gary Stevenson said the new $8 cap would be more effective because it would apply to more carparks.

"Our evidence suggests that the bulk of people shopping in the city on the weekend stay for more than three hours anyway," he said. "The new scheme means they won't feel the need to rush back to their car."

The council could not provide precise figures on how much deregulated trading had hit parking revenue. But Mr Stevenson said there had been a downward trend in short-stay parking.

Under the increases, the council's anticipated parking revenue would potentially rise by $4.2 million to $69.9 million in 2013-14.