Parking fine numbers decrease

Compliance with parking regulations within the City of Busselton appears to be on the rise, with a continued decrease in the number of parking infringements being issued.

Busselton City rangers handed out 1417 infringements to motorists in the period to May this financial year, compared to 1698 infringements last financial year, which was a 20 per cent decrease on 2009-10.

Speaking at an Urban Development Institute of Australia forum last week, City chief executive Mike Archer said it was the view of the City that Busselton did not have a parking problem.

He said studies conducted in the middle of summer revealed it was still possible to find parking around the town centre.

City planning and development services director Paul Needham said parking difficulties were to be expected in a growing commercial centre, and with further growth it would only become more difficult to park in popular areas.

However, he said the City could not add more car parking bays in a finite space such as along Queen Street.

Mr Needham said the City was putting around 1 per cent of its rates revenue into a parking reserve each year, with a current reserve of about $1.4 million, to help provide additional car parking.

He said paid parking may need to be considered at some time in the future.

However, parking demands were not at a level to support it at present.

The opening of the new Woolworths development along Queen Street was expected to increase the availability of parking by more than 200 bays.