Extend the trackside parking

The council cannot be seriously considering TIDC's suggestion of turning the Woy Woy and Austin Memorial Ovals into car parks.

Several residents of Brick Wharf Rd, myself included, suggested to TIDC that instead of carving up green space that they could look to extent the car park that runs alongside the train tracks.

Not only is this a solution that no-one would object to, it could be built as a permanent and sustainable way to increase commuter spaces.

TIDC's response at the time was that people would have to walk too far to the station and that they would need to run a shuttle-bus.

Yet, in this latest development it appears to be ok to carve up multiple green spaces that are more than a kilometre away from the station and/or turn our sports facilities into concrete slabs.

Under the banner of consultation, the TIDC have used coercive tactics to push this ugly car park extension through and now find themselves in a situation that pleases no-one.

Even if the council did have to provide park and ride facilities for 12 months, wouldn't this be a better (and cheaper) outcome than pouring tarmac over sporting ovals and then having to pay to convert them back again?

Email, 15 Jul 2010 Alex Coward, Woy Woy