Mount Hawthorn parking future unresolved as City seeks buyers for Lot 3

The future of public parking at Mount Hawthorn’s Coogee Street car park remains unresolved after the City of Vincent amended its proposal to seek Expressions of Interest for Lot 3, Scarborough Beach Road.

The amendment requires any purchaser to include a minimum number of bays for continued public parking, but does not state how many. The existing car park has 27 public bays.

Councillors questioned whether a future development would need to retain all 27 bays, or whether a smaller number such as 10 or five would be acceptable. They also asked whether parking fees would be set by the City or by a future developer.

The uncertainty matters to developers assessing the value of the site and to local businesses that rely on access to nearby parking. A written statement from Highgate resident Dudley Maier said the car park contributed to the function of the shopping area and raised concerns about the effect of losing parking on small businesses.

Councillors also questioned the quality of the available usage information. The figures did not establish whether users were workers parking all day or customers visiting nearby shops, a distinction that could affect decisions about the site’s future and the level of parking required.

The amended wording requires continued public parking ‘to the City’s satisfaction’. Councillors questioned whether that provided enough certainty for prospective bidders to calculate the site’s value and decide whether to submit an expression of interest.

The EOI process does not commit the City to selling, leasing or redeveloping the land. Submissions are to return to Council for consideration after the process, so the site’s eventual ownership, development and parking arrangements remain open.

Any future outcome could affect parking supply and access to shops and services around Scarborough Beach Road. The number of public bays and control of parking fees have not been settled.