Under the existing scheme, home owners in the Northern Beaches Council area are given two free annual parking permits to 40 local beaches, while renters who live in the same areas must apply and pay $250 for a pass.
People who own their homes can also buy two additional parking stickers for a maximum of four permits per household, which is twice as many as a rented household is allowed to purchase.
Casual parking at Balmoral Beach can cost $10 an hour.Credit: Ben Symons
In the Mosman Council area, property owners get a free parking sticker that provides them with access to four carparks, including Balmoral and The Spit, while renters can purchase up to two permits, at $61 each. Home owners can also buy two additional parking stickers for the same price.
Graham, who will announce the plan on Thursday, said the government would notify councils of the proposed changes to the two-tiered parking schemes and invite their feedback. Any changes would be implemented via updates to parking guidelines under the relevant road legislation.
Wakehurst MP Michael Regan, a former Northern Beaches mayor, said the idea was “overreach”, arguing the proposal would strip revenue from councils, erode property owners’ rights and increase demand for limited car spaces.
“When you’ve got nearly 110,000 properties [on the northern beaches], that’s 220,000 beach parking permits, for less than a couple of thousand car spaces. I suspect there will be far more demand.
Road Minister John Graham says “drawing lines based on whether someone lives in a block of apartments or in a house …
fails the fairness test”.Credit: Edwina Pickles
“The government needs to understand what councils are delivering [with those funds] in terms of lifeguards 365 days a year and surf club upgrades and maintenance to ensure safety on our beaches.”
Regan acknowledged it was a “delicate balance”, but he believed landlords should give at least one of their beach parking permits to their tenant.
“But they can also give it to their kids, they have rights as property owners. Renters don’t pay rates, their landlords pay the rates.”
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Mosman Mayor Ann Marie Kimber said the community was “acutely aware of the housing affordability crises and the cost-of-living challenges facing renters and owners alike”. She said the council provided “massively discounted foreshore parking permits to renters” with the $61 pass.
Kimber awaited more details of the proposal, but urged the Minns government to “focus on genuine solutions to rental affordability”.
“It would be extremely disappointing if the Minn’s government opted for further cost shifting to local government when a collective and concerted endeavour is required.”
A Northern Beaches Council spokeswoman said staff were unaware of the proposal. “Currently the permits are of a benefit to ratepayers who are encouraged to pass them on if they have renters in their property,” she said.
Graham said the proposal was among a suite of Labor reforms aimed at “ensuring access to Sydney beaches does not depend on someone’s postcode, and they remain open and welcoming to all”.
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He also flagged possible changes to parking guidelines that would prevent councils blocking residents in strata units and multi-dwelling properties from obtaining residential parking permits on the same terms as other residents.
The government last year updated guidelines to ensure street parking limits were a minimum of one hour when combined with exemptions for permit holders, after it vetoed a Woollahra Council plan to limit Watsons Bay visitor car spaces to 15 minutes except for residents with an all-day parking pass.