Perth parking levy and fund
731. Hon ALISON XAMON to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the Perth parking levy and fund.
(1) How is part of the funds from the $26 million a year Perth parking levy being spent to prioritise the bicycling environment in the central city area?
(2) Why are funds from the Perth parking fund not utilised to improve the safety of the City West station to Perth Arena section of the principal shared path?
(3) What are the funding priorities of the Perth parking fund for the 2010–11 financial year?
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question.
(1) The Perth Parking Management Act 1999 requires that revenue from the parking licence fees be spent within the central Perth area. To date, these funds have been spent on the central area transit—CAT— bus system and travel within the free transit zone. There are a range of significant new funding pressures in the Perth central area relating to public transport and pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.
Many of these works have been identified in the Perth City Streets strategy, which has recently been developed between the City of Perth and the transport agencies. I have asked for advice from the Department of Transport on the funding options for this infrastructure, including the scope to fund some of these works from the Perth parking licensing account. The improvements to bicycle access in the city area include end-of-trip facilities, expansion and improvement of shared paths and completion of missing links.
(2) The section of the principal shared path network past City West station to the central business district has been identified as a strategic priority by the Department of Transport. Work will commence shortly to complete a concept design, and this will provide the basis for the government to consider a funding allocation for the project.
(3) The 2010–11 state budget provided an additional $2.4 million per annum to address increased passenger demand in the Perth CBD and to improve CAT operating hours and frequencies. As stated in my response to (1), I have asked for advice from the Department of Transport on the funding options for infrastructure works in the CBD, including the scope to fund some of these works from the Perth parking licensing account. This will need to be considered by the government as part of its budgetary process.