The Lismore City Council has moved a step closer to providing $2 a day parking in streets around the Lismore Base Hospital precinct.
A motion from mayor Isaac Smith was passed by all councillors, except Cr Greg Bennett and Cr Adam Guise, who left the chamber for the vote.
Cr Smith’s motion proposed a series of steps to improve the parking situation, with dropping the price of all day parking in Dalziel Street from $5 to $2 at the top of the list.
The proposal will be advertised for 28 days while the council consults with NSW Health and the Roads and Maritime Service over its intention.
Lismore mayor Isaac Smiths. (file pic)
Cr Smith also wants an undertaking from NSW Health that they will ‘provide council with their on-site parking occupancy rates and take appropriate steps including greater promotion of parking options such as concession parking to achieve >80% occupancy of their available on-site parking between the hours of 8am and 3pm by 1 December 2016’.
He also wants advice from the RMS on the potential implications of changing the mix of paid parking in Hunter Street to provide an all day parking option, reducing the paid parking fees in Uralba Street, and extending paid parking into weekend periods.
As a result of an amendment, the council has agreed to include the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association and the Heatlh Services Union in any further consultation around the LBH parking.
Since the parking charges have been introduced, staff at Lismore Base Hospital have been boycotting streets where paid parking has been introduced. This has upset residents in other nearby streets which have been used as free alternative parking.
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