Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas and his council have rejected a proposal to remove free night CBD parking with plans to continue the initiative for at least another year.
Over the 2023-24 financial year, city officers claimed the City of Perth lost $5.1 million and $4.2 million as a result of free night parking and free three-hour parking respectively.
City staff also recommended increasing on-street parking costs by 11.5 per cent and replacing free night parking at boom-gated and non boom-gated carparks with a cost of $5 a night.
But at the City of Perth’s council meeting on Tuesday night, Mr Zempilas put forward an amendment to continue free CBD parking after 6pm until at least April 2025.
Mr Zempilas’ amendment was passed 7-1 with David Goncalves the only councillor to vote against it.
“I know from the anecdotal evidence from the number of people that come up to me and say things to the effect of ‘free parking after 6pm is such a winner,’ or ‘thank you for the free parking in the City of Perth’ … it has really resonated with our community,” Mr Zempilas said.
“Every City of Perth bay free after 6pm has sent a very clear message to our community and to the broader metropolitan area that the City of Perth is open for business, we are here for our retailers and business owners and operators.
“The goodwill that we have earned from being able to offer every bay in the city free after 6pm is one that I don’t believe at this point, we should give it away.
“Another year feels about right to really embed and really cement the resurgent position for our City of Perth.”
Boom-gated carparks — such as the Perth Concert Hall, His Majesty’s Theatre and State Library carparks — are set to increase by an extra 50 cents per hour and an extra $1 per day.
Non-boom gated carparks will increase by 11.5 per cent, which will match the additional costs associated with those using the EasyPark app.
The city is projecting a 50 per cent uptake of the EasyPark app by the end of the 2023-24 financial year, which officers say, could increase revenue by more than $4 million by the end of the 2024/25 financial year.
The price increases will come into effect on May 1.
“Like everybody in our community, we as a business are wrestling with the increased cost of doing business, and many of the fees and charges … associated with doing business throughout the City of Perth and our community have gone up during this period post COVID,” Mr Zempilas said.
“The cost of us providing the very high level of services that we do; all of the great events, the cleanliness that we provide, the safety, the amenity, the excellent administration … is on the increase.
“When revenue is not coming in or if more is required, it’s otherwise rates that are going to be needed (to be increased), and therefore I understand and accept the need for the small increases in boom gated carparks, the non boom gated carparks and the on-street proposed fees.”
Cr Brent Fleeton said he had “struggled with the decision” to increase parking rates but assured the city was “still cheaper than competition”.
“We have to invest in this business to ensure longer term, the pressure is put down on expenses to continue paying that subsidy to ratepayers because we’re going to need huge sums of money to meet the aspirations of this growing community,” he said.
“If there was a $5 (night time) charge, that also means we’re expecting 30 per cent less people coming into the city … could you imagine what our ratepayers would do?
“We cannot be fine with that.”