The National Capital Authority should be directed to develop a strategy for retail services and childcare in the parliamentary zone when paid parking is introduced, a parliamentary committee says. It also recommends a park-and-ride facility and that the Centenary Loop shuttle bus be made permanent.
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However, the committee says it accepts pay parking is a "useful strategy" for managing parking.
The recommendations were handed down late on Friday by the committee, which conducted an inquiry into the "provision of amenity within the Parliamentary Triangle" following the budget decision to charge for parking from July next year.
The inquiry widened its terms of reference to examine amenities in the four precincts where paid parking will be applied – the Parliamentary Triangle, Barton, Russell and Action (referred to as the central national area).
Along with Parliament House, the four independent institutions that control their own car parks – the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, High Court and War Memorial – face a dilemma: impose paid parking on staff and volunteers or risk having free parks swamped by public servants.
The heads of cultural institutions told the inquiry visitors could not find parking because car parks were clogged with commuters. Defence objected strongly to paid parking being forced on its Russell offices, saying there was no need to keep out tourists.
The committee says if the growing demand for parking, especially around national institutions, is to be met, some "form of price signal" was essential to ensure "an increasingly scare resource – parking" was effectively managed.
"Having said this, it is also clear to the committee that this scarcity has, in part, arisen from planning decisions which have failed to account for likely increases in demand," it says.
The NCA told the inquiry the current planning system allowed for the development of retail with very little constraint.
Committee chairwoman Louise Pratt said lack of amenity in the area had been a justification for free parking. "With the decision to implement pay parking from July 2014, the committee believes that the Commonwealth cannot ignore the need for these services, especially considering the large number of people who work in these precincts.
"Car travel to and from the central national area is regarded as essential because of its isolation, lack of services, and the slowness and lack of flexibility of public transport.
"Reducing reliance on cars necessitates improving amenity. The committee has recommended the development of a strategy for the provision of amenity within the central national area, including the parliamentary zone.
"This will incorporate the provision of retail services, parking, access to public transport, childcare services, the development of timelines and the allocation of responsibilities for the provision of these services. It also requests that the government provide funds for the development of the strategy in the 2014-15 budget.
"The committee has also recommended that the NCA regularly report to the committee on the development of amenities and that a 'park-and-ride' facility be developed to improve access by public transport."
Coalition committee members, including ACT senator Gary Humphries, who opposes pay parking, say they are not convinced the introduction of pay parking will necessarily lead to more amenities.
They do not support the recommendations, saying these rest on the assumption that the provision of amenities is the responsibility of government.
The inquiry was told the federal government had no intention of releasing the received revenue from paid parking.
ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher has written to Territories Minister Catherine King saying there is a "strong argument" for the revenue to be used to support amenity development for NCA land and to provide an additional resource stream for national institutions.
