Pregnant women forced to hike to work in Wagga’s oppressive heat have renewed calls for more CBD parking.
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Wagga lash stylist Sommer Deaves is 33 weeks pregnant and struggles to walk three blocks to work on Johnston Street, while battling low iron and blood sugar.
Ms Deaves regularly starts her shift at 11am, meaning nine-to-five white-collar workers have snapped up the city’s scarce kerbisde parking.
“I don’t want to play the victim, I chose to get preganant and work, but walking blocks and blocks in 40-degree weather is dangerous,” she said.
“I’m happy to pay to park in a multi-storey car park for convience, weather protection and safety.”
Council shelled out $240,000 in May 2015 for a landmark transport study to find solutions to Wagga’s parking paralysis.
The study is expected to be made available on February 27, close to nine months late.
Council’s last two parking studies in 2003 and 2008 both concluded Wagga needed a multi-storey car park.
Wagga Business Chamber has consistently maintained a multi-storey structure is necessary and branded staff parking at Wagga Beach a “band-aid solution”.
Pregnant personal banker Katie Connellan is sick of “walking ridiculous distances” to get to work and “overheating”.
“On Thursdays I start at 11am, so shoppers are already out and about so I’ve got Buckley’s of finding a park within three blocks,” she said.
“Some days it’s 35 degrees by 8.45am, so I park in a three-hour spot and cop the fine to avoid strain on the baby.
“(Councillor) Tim Koschel has suggested parking over the road from Oasis, but there’s only 30 parks up there, which doesn't nearly cover how many people work and shop in the CBD.”
Councillor Koschel said paid permits for CBD staff – especially tradespeople fitting out main street retailers – was one idea he was taking seriously.
“Tradies are even saying they’d be happy to pay extra on a development application to get parking permits outside shops being renovated,” Cr Koschel said.
“I’m listening to all ideas.”