In late 2019, six months out from the April 2020 Church Point Reserved Parking Space term expiration, we conducted a review of the application process. 

Survey results

Thank you to those who submitted a response to the survey - your feedback was essential to assist us improve our service to you.

Strengths with the current process

• 71% of respondents thought the application process was easy to follow.
• 65% of respondents felt they had enough time to submit applications.
• 80% of respondents agreed with the current eligibility criteria.
• 91% of respondents currently have a space and would like to reapply.
• 89% felt two keys and two coupons were reasonable.
• 73% agreed the spaces should be used for residential purposes in the Church Point precinct.

Opportunities for improvement

• 32% of respondents would prefer an alternate method of communication such as phone.
• 42% of respondents did not agree with the two-year term. Of those, 77% would prefer a longer or continuous term.
• 45% of respondents had suggestions. The most common request was to allow more vehicles to use the space (additional coupons).

New improved Parking Space Scheme

New benefits and changes

• Communication - If you would prefer to be notified via phone, please contact the parking operations team and advise them of your preferred method of communication.
• Additional coupons - Council will offer two extra coupons to a maximum of four coupons per reserved space to assist family needs. Each additional coupon will cost $25.
• Payments – You will have a choice between monthly direct debit or an annual invoice.
• Re-application - Permit holders will not have to re-apply every two years if there is no one on the waitlist.

Eligibility

• The applicant is a Northern Beaches resident or property owner.
• The parking space will be used for residential purposes in the Church Point precinct.
• The vehicle is not a trailer, caravan, heavy vehicle, motorcycle, scooter or tractor.
• The vehicle is registered in the applicant’s name.

The nominated locations are:

• Scotland Island
• Elvina Bay
• Lovett Bay
• Morning Bay
• Douglass Estate

Preference will be given to applicants in the following group order:

- Group 1: You are a property owner and reside permanently (as your primary residence) in one of the nominated locations.
- Group 2: You are a tenant and reside permanently in in one of the nominated locations.
- Group 3: You are a property owner or tenant of one of the nominated locations but do not reside permanently.
- Group 4: You are a Northern Beaches Council resident or property owner.

Coupons

• Reserved space holders can apply for up to three additional coupons per space.
• Two may be used for vehicles not registered to the applicant’s address, e.g. carer.
• There is a maximum of four coupons per term. If four have been issued, no more may be purchased for the remainder of the two-year term.
• Council will re-issue permits to the same coupon holder only in the event of a new vehicle.
• There is a $25 administration fee per coupon and Council may only issue two keys per space.
• Each key will require a $204 key bond.
• The coupons are not transferrable and details cannot be changed.

To apply for additional coupons, applicants must contact the parking operations team in writing (email or post) or attend in person, and provide all of the following:

1. A current driving licence for the additional coupon holder.
2. Current registration documents for the additional vehicle(s).
3. Evidence that the vehicle will be used for residential purposes only (registration to the offshore address or a statutory declaration).

Coupons can take up to 10 business days to be made and posted.

Application process

• Applications will be opened for one month. Council will separate/prioritise applicants in relation to their eligibility group (see below). By accepting all submissions at once, the time applications may be submitted has been extended. Applications can be submitted online, in person, via email or posted.
• If there are more applicants than spaces, a ballot will be conducted to determine who is successful. The ballot will only be used for the last group reached, e.g. if there are 20 applicants from Group 1, 20 from Group 2 and 30 from Group 3, there would only be a ballot for vehicle requests in Group 3 to determine the remaining 28 spaces.
• Spaces are first allocated to those applications with special needs such as mobility permits and then a ballot system is used.
• Applicants may apply for more than one space. One application will only be accepted per property for Groups 1 and 2 and subsequent applications will be considered in the remaining groups. If a property submits more than one application, Council will ask which application is to be considered for Group 1. If the applicant does not respond, Council will proceed with the first application received with all supporting documentation.
• Successful applicants will still have a guaranteed minimum two-year term from the closure of the application process and ballot.

Successful applicants 

• Payment may be made via monthly direct debit or an annual invoice.
• Any cancellations must be made in writing five days prior to the end of the month and no refunds will be given for early termination, including the annual fee.
• If there is a waitlist three months prior to the end of the two-year term, a new application and ballot process will commence. The successful applicant’s new term will start at the completion of the previous term.
• If there is no waitlist for spaces at the end of the term, a ballot will not be held and customers will continue to hold their space on a month-to-month basis until the waitlist has one person on it. After this time, a new application process will commence and the ballot and allocation of spaces will be completed within three months.