Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to raise my concerns about last week's decision of the Development Assessment Commission to approve car park fees at Westfield Marion shopping centre. As do many people in my electorate, I have been going to Westfield Marion shopping centre for many years now and it is incredibly disappointing, with all the cost-of-living pressures currently faced by families, that Westfield has made the decision to charge for car parking.

A number of concerns were raised with this application to introduce car parking fees. Westfield have said that they will allow two hours of free parking, but many families go to the shopping centre to enjoy a day there—maybe see a movie and get some food. Retailers have a genuine concern, I think, that shoppers will not be spending as much time there to enjoy the day and spend some money. There are also privacy concerns—cameras are to be installed to monitor people coming and going. On top of that, residents in the surrounding areas are also concerned. They are worried that the introduction of car parking fees will force shoppers who cannot afford those fees out into the residential areas—parking in front of people's homes. This could lead to a lot of congestion. So I urge Westfield Marion to reconsider. (Time expired)