‘With the population growth there is an increasing use of cars and it will get to a point, I think, where serious consideration by the council will need to be given to whether a multi storey car park is needed,’ he said.
Mr Carey made the comments in light of increasing development applications and approvals for businesses on the strip in Mt Lawley and Highgate.
‘We have approved cash in lieu of parking bays for businesses on Beaufort Street,’ Mr Carey said.
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READ NOW‘We don’t want to prohibit great activation because they are not meeting car parking requirements.’
He said the privately owned car park behind Mt Lawley IGA was the most obvious spot, but an alternative could be to add a four to five storey public car park at the bottom of a future development.
Beaufort Street Network (BSN) deputy director Dean Cracknell said creating more parking should not be a priority for the strip.
‘More parking may only create more traffic on Beaufort Street and detract from the look and feel of the place,’ he said.
‘We have to get smarter about car parking issues. There is actually lots of parking available if you know where to look.’
Mr Carey said council’s focus at the moment was on improving the amenity and facilities for pedestrians, bike riders and people coming to the area via public transport.
‘With the bus lanes and bike lanes we are encouraging people to get there by any other means than by car,’ he said.
‘Perth people also need to change their habits. They can no longer hop in a car and think they can get a car park right out of the front of the store they want to go to.’
Mr Cracknell said making Beaufort Street a pedestrian friendly area would be more helpful than catering for more cars.
‘We think local businesses would like to see more money in their tills rather than just focusing on providing very expensive, potentially ugly multi-storey car parks,’ he said.
‘The best way to support local businesses is to attract more pedestrians past their shop windows.
‘So we fully support the City of Vincent approach to prioritising walking, cycling and public transport. This approach helps create better places, is less expensive for the community and is far more environmentally sustainable.’