Sunshine Coast Council today endorsed a recommendation to enter into an agreement with the University of the Sunshine Coast to regulate the university’s paid parking system on their Sippy Downs campus.
The request from USC for council to enter into an arrangement to help manage parking comes after the university decided to introduce paid parking on its campus.
Division 6 Councillor Christian Dickson said the university’s request for council’s help with parking management and regulation on campus was in response to the parking pressure the university was experiencing as their student population grows.
“The university introduced paid parking on 25 February as a means of raising funds to invest in improved parking facilities including a multi-level carpark,” Cr Dickson said.
“Council’s decision will see the university and council enter into a formal agreement for a six month trial that permits council to provide a parking enforcement service on the campus.
“I would like to stress that council will not receive any income from parking meters or from the university as a fee for service – any revenue generated from parking fines will go back into funding the costs of regulating and managing parking on the campus and in the surrounding area.
While council supports the university in its program to raise the money for key parking infrastructure, council also has a responsibility to manage any parking issues that the new paid parking system may create for residents and businesses in the surrounding area.
“To do this we will also undertake a parking management program in surrounding streets to ensure there are no safety issues or disruptions. The six month regulatory trial will provide us with data to review and understand any problems and how they can best be addressed.”
Council endorsed an amendment to Subordinate Local Law No 5 (Parking) 2011 to include the land area of the Sunshine Coast University as an off-street regulated parking area. This is required to allow council to regulate parking in the University off-street regulated parking area.
For further information about the new paid parking system, visit the university’s website.