Choosing Arrival Location with Family

[Marisawright]

7 minutes ago, beketamun said:

I think it's more that Australia had free parking, and now local councils have jumped on the revenue raising aspect of it.   

I can see it both ways.  The beaches are a good example:  when parking was free, everyone just drove to the beach without a second thought.  Result:  some people hogging spaces all day long, and also people driving to the beach who could easily have taken public transport or walked, denying access to those who had no alternative.

It's easy to get upset about being charged for parking when you're the one driving the car and feeling entitled. 

[beketamun]

11 hours ago, Marisawright said:

I can see it both ways.  The beaches are a good example:  when parking was free, everyone just drove to the beach without a second thought.  Result:  some people hogging spaces all day long, and also people driving to the beach who could easily have taken public transport or walked, denying access to those who had no alternative.

It's easy to get upset about being charged for parking when you're the one driving the car and feeling entitled. 

I suppose beaches in cities are a good example with population density, but I've never paid to park at a beach anywhere on the South Coast....I think Byron Bay was the only place I've ever had to pay and that was definitely a parking deterrent because of sheer volume, the infrastructure can't handle the incoming tourists in a place that is miles form anywhere.   I was more talking about normal city and town centre parking that have reduced parking availability (usually for housing or commercial development) and then started charging parking fees for the remainder, but making sure that people have to go there to work with pretty poor public transport services.  There is the climate change argument, but these are just revenue raising exercises and pretty obvious, the same as speed cameras that do nothing to improve safety.

The UK had the same problem with a flood of speed cameras across the country and they brought in a rule saying that speed cameras could only be used where there was a demonstrable safety risk that would be reduced by their introduction, and that the first option should be to improve highways design rather than leaving an unsafe road and just charging people for the speed they were driving.  Suddenly the cameras starting disappearing again because they were unjustifiable under the new rules. 

How local governments raise funds and predict future budgets funds is a growing issue, the change from occasional stamp duty to regular rates addresses some of that, but funding is being cut and will be likely to be cut more in Australia, which has had a traditionally high level of local services investment.

Edited March 15, 2022 by beketamun

[Ausvisitor]

1 hour ago, beketamun said:

I suppose beaches in cities are a good example with population density, but I've never paid to park at a beach anywhere on the South Coast....I think Byron Bay was the only place I've ever had to pay and that was definitely a parking deterrent because of sheer volume, the infrastructure can't handle the incoming tourists in a place that is miles form anywhere.   I was more talking about normal city and town centre parking that have reduced parking availability (usually for housing or commercial development) and then started charging parking fees for the remainder, but making sure that people have to go there to work with pretty poor public transport services.  There is the climate change argument, but these are just revenue raising exercises and pretty obvious, the same as speed cameras that do nothing to improve safety.

The UK had the same problem with a flood of speed cameras across the country and they brought in a rule saying that speed cameras could only be used where there was a demonstrable safety risk that would be reduced by their introduction, and that the first option should be to improve highways design rather than leaving an unsafe road and just charging people for the speed they were driving.  Suddenly the cameras starting disappearing again because they were unjustifiable under the new rules. 

How local governments raise funds and predict future budgets funds is a growing issue, the change from occasional stamp duty to regular rates addresses some of that, but funding is being cut and will be likely to be cut more in Australia, which has had a traditionally high level of local services investment.

Your post is close but not 100%

It is correct that a local authority can no longer just put up a speed camera wherever they want, however there was absolutely no rule that said existing sites had to be ceased 

In fact any past or existing site unless re-used (i.e. had a building out on it) can always be put back into service.

 

The changes you talk about where two-fold

 

1) in the case of a non proven accident site they would likely not get planning approval in the future (although the "proof" needed for unsafe is very low)

2) any site (new or existing) unless coloured bright yellow will have to revert all proceeds to HMRC but still have to pay for operating costs out of local policing budgets, where the camera is yellow the proceeds can also be kept by local policing.once local police where paying for the cameras but not allowed to keep the revenue they stated to either paint them yellow or remove them (as they are very expensive to maintain)

 

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, beketamun said:

  I was more talking about normal city and town centre parking that have reduced parking availability (usually for housing or commercial development) and then started charging parking fees for the remainder, but making sure that people have to go there to work with pretty poor public transport services.  

I can't say I've ever seen that in Sydney or Melbourne.  Charging for parking is common, but if there were no charges, all the parking spaces would be clogged with workers and there would be nowhere for people visiting for shorter periods.  Shops and businesses would suffer.   Both cities have good public transport networks so there's no real excuse for driving to work unless you actually need the car during your working day.