Australian Catholic University’s Ballarat campus head has hit out at the city’s new parking proposal, saying students are unable to pay for parking and without alternatives.
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The university would be situated across two zones, with car parking costing between 50 cents and $1 per hour with no time restriction, if the City of Ballarat’s proposed plan is adopted.
The parking plan will considered by councillors at a special council meeting open to the public on May 31 at 5.30pm.
Twenty people have already registered to speak at the meeting.
READ MORE: Ballarat parking to undergo massive overhaul
Australian Catholic University Aquinas campus dean Professor Bridget Aitchison said the city’s weak public transport links made the current proposal unworkable.
She said for the 82 students living on the Camillus residence in Gillies Street, there was no direct bus to campus.
“We don’t mind students having to find alternate transport, rather than driving their cars to campus, and same for staff. But that transport doesn’t exist,” Prof Aitchison said.
“They have to walk all the way up to Ballarat High School, in order to get a bus to campus.
“And for the people that live at Alfredton, it takes 45 minutes on public transport.
“If you’re going to ask students – many of whom are from lower socio-economic backgrounds and most of whom don’t earn a full-time wage – to pay for parking, you have to provide an alternative to driving their car.”
ACU’s campus has 160 parks on site, with 52 parks for staff and 88 for students. The university has over 1,000 students and 120 staff.
You can see council’s parking plan here.
“If our car park is free, but the council is charging, we’ll have a real equity problem with students,” she said.
If adopted by council, the changes would roll out in the health and knowledge precinct – including ACU’s campus – by October this year.
Prof Aitchison said she understood the need for a parking plan, but took issue with the plan going through council before consultation on the specifics.
“What they need to do is go out to community consultation, make it a genuine consultation, really listen to what people have to say, redraft the plan as a result and then present it to council for approval,” she said.
“They’re doing it backwards, and it goes to transparency, and it doesn’t feel right.
“There needs to be consultation on where those boundaries are.”
