Cr Simon Clough, Deputy Mayor and leader of Our Sustainable Future, Lismore City Council
In the last four years with a majority of progressive councillors Lismore City Council has achieved 29 awards of local, regional, state and national significance. These awards are for a wide range of achievements from information about road conditions, to waste management, Buy Local programs and two Green Globe awards for environmental sustainability.
At the same time Lismore’s progressive Council has worked directly or in combination with other organisations to encourage the following developments:
- $11.5 million Masters Home Improvement Store – complete
- $38 million redevelopment of Southern Cross University library – complete
- $9.27 million Lismore Base Hospital multi-storey carpark – complete
- $260 million Stage 3A redevelopment of Lismore Base Hospital – under construction
- $10 million Bennett’s office development – under construction
- $1.87 million upgrade of Lismore Regional Airport and general aviation facilities – underway
- $5.8 million art gallery upgrade and Lismore Quadrangle project – tenders called
- $15 million Lismore Home & Leisure Centre superstore – DA to be lodged by December 2016
- $13 million Quest apartment complex – progress to sale of land.
In addition Council has approved numerous land develo0pment projects many with an affordable housing component.
The message for Lismore voters could not be clearer if you want the continuation of sensible, balanced development with major cultural projects and strong environmental protection you need to support the 3 progressive parties standing for election.
Do not vote for anyone associated with the $9.27 million Lismore Base Hospital multi-storey carpark. Let alone someone out of touch enough to brag about a development which enables a private company to fleece the sick, their families and medical staff. How is this outcome progressive or sensible? To add insult to injury this development has led to metered parking around the hospital. Whose idea of sustainable development is this? The only thing metered parking will sustain is the flow of canapes and goon bags on opening nights at the $5.8 million art gallery.
Hear, hear. Metered street parking is a de facto consumption tax which hurts low income people most. Parking meters around a public hospital are inequitable because feeding a parking meter takes a greater percentage of a low income persons’ financial resources than somebody well off. Any councilor that voted for the multi- story car park and introducing paid parking around the hospital should hang their head in shame. Not boast about their progressive credentials.
Paid parking is not a consumption tax, it is a fee for the use of a facility. It is also most unfair of the Peter to describe the private company as “fleecing” users, because they won the contract to provide the service for a quite reasonable fee. Plainly the hospital cannot provide a paid car park and then let people park for free close by – that would allow people to evade what they should be paying for and reduce the amenity for nearby residents. As with any other such fee for service, well-off people are better able to pay it. We do not charge different people different prices for bananas or shirts or to buy the car they drive to the hospital based on their income. Using private cars carries a lot of public costs including provision of parking in busy areas and it is reasonable that those that can afford to drive should pay those costs.
Petrus.
Thank you for your comments. But like Hillary Clinton and her husband Bill you seem to have drunk the Neo Liberal Kool-Aid. In other words, swallowed the ideology that market exchange is an ethic in itself, capable of acting as a guide for all human action. However, your arguments don’t stack up.
Firstly, different people are being charged different prices for parking. Top earning doctors and specialists are charged just $2.40 a day at the new privately operated parking facility. While the remaining 1,600 hospital workers (including minimum wage contract cleaners) pay double the amount to park out on the street.
Secondly, hospital staff park outside the metered zone making the life of nearby residents’ hell.
Thirdly, a public hospital is an essential service. Not a ‘facility’ which customers choose to use.
Fourthly, taxes, council rates and car registration fees are already in place to fund road and transportation costs.
Fifthly, the details of the parking contract have not been made public.
The fact is that metered street parking is a de facto consumption tax. This low blow particularly distresses low income sick people and their families. Any MLC that voted for it should hang their head in shame. Not boast about their progressive credentials.