Mr NEVILLE (12:40 PM) —On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories, I present the committee's report, entitled Not a town centre: the proposal for pay parking in the parliamentary zone.

Ordered that the report be printed.

Mr NEVILLE —by leave—On behalf of the Joint Committee on the National Capital and External Territories, I have pleasure in presenting the committee's first report for 2003, entitled Not a town centre: the proposal for pay parking in the parliamentary zone. As the agency charged with managing the Commonwealth's interests in the national capital, the National Capital Authority is seeking to introduce pay parking as a means to manage traffic in the parliamentary zone. This is the second time the issue of parking in the parliamentary zone has been examined by the committee. Although the committee was against the introduction of pay parking in the parliamentary zone in 1994, we, the current committee members, commenced the new inquiry with open minds.

The issues relating to pay parking in the zone which have become a cause for concern include traffic flow problems, limited car parking spaces, the physical isolation of major buildings and iconic attractions, and a poor pedestrian access network. This was evident to members of the committee during an inspection of the parking areas in the zone and the adjacent areas of Barton and Forrest. The committee is conscious of the many interests involved in this issue, as evidenced by the large number of submissions it received. Strong arguments have been put forward by people who work in the zone and adjacent areas who will be affected by pay parking, as well as by the national cultural institutions and Commonwealth agencies also located in the zone. The committee is aware of the need to find an equitable solution to the overcrowding of parking areas in the zone. The committee is also conscious of any flow-on effect that changes in parking policies or that new building developments in the Barton-Forrest area may have.

The committee received 145 submissions to the inquiry—the majority from people who work in the Barton-Forrest area. In addition, the committee received 600 responses via email to an informal survey conducted by the committee on 9 May 2003 from people working in the Barton area and the parliamentary zone. We wanted to learn what mode of transport people used to get to work on that day and whether public transport offered a viable alternative. Somewhat disturbingly, over 95 per cent of those who responded to the survey commuted to their place of work, be it in the zone or the adjacent Barton area, via private vehicle. The main reason for this was that public transport servicing the area was considered to be inadequate. Respondents also identified the need for a private vehicle to balance family and child-care commitments, and to get to shopping centres during lunch breaks, due to the lack of facilities in the area.

The unanimous view of the committee is that the parliamentary zone is unique and should not be treated in the same way as commercial centres in the ACT. The zone belongs to the people of Australia, and access to any of the culturally significant sites throughout the area should remain free of any charge. The National Capital Authority sought the committee's support for the principle of pay parking. Unfortunately, the committee believes that the authority has failed to adequately address a number of significant issues regarding the implementation of pay parking. This has created a large degree of uncertainty for the committee, which, at this time, finds itself unable to give the in-principle support for pay parking that the authority is seeking.

However, the parking situation in the parliamentary zone and adjacent areas of Barton and Forrest remains unacceptable. The committee therefore recommends to the authority, in conjunction with the ACT government, that they develop as a matter of urgency a more detailed parking policy proposal that clearly defines the following characteristics: the infrastructure to be built, including the time frame and funding arrangements; the parking fees to be introduced, including provisions to exclude from payment visitors, volunteers and people with disabilities; and contingencies should the parliamentary zone experience further encroachment of commuters from the adjacent Barton precinct.

I would like to express on behalf of the committee our gratitude to all those who participated in the inquiry, and to the staff of the secretariat, in particular Justin Baker, who drafted the report, and Quinton Clements, the inquiry secretary. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my committee colleagues for their work and support throughout the course of the inquiry and reporting process. I commend the report to the House. (Time expired)