From Glenbrook to Blackheath, citywide 'Smart' Paid Parking is coming to the Blue Mountains.

We, the undersigned residents of and visitors to the Blue Mountains (stakeholders), instruct the Blue Mountains City Council to reverse their decision to implement visitor paid parking and Smart enforcement technology detailed in The Parking Strategic Plan 2023 that was endorsed at the 28 February 2023 Council Meeting. We want the access to our beloved places to remain unimpeded by time limits and financial penalties. We support Council to find financial remedies to their budgetary issues in partnership with State and Federal governments to whom we the stakeholders already pay taxes.

Council has already approved and is about to roll out a digital 'Smart' parking scheme that will turn our townships and beloved lookouts, trail heads and swimming holes into one big integrated and electronically monitored virtual parking station. Features of the plan include:

• Paid parking for visitors ($4- $12/hr) or $38 day pass
• Policed time limits for visitors and residents
• In-road sensors plus fixed and mobile license plate recognition cameras
• Real-time data to be monitored by rangers in specially equipped vehicles to enforce infringements of visitors and residents alike
• Digital signage impacting the visual amenity of our towns
• Data on your vehicle's parking history collected and stored by Council

Affected areas for Stage 1 and Stage 2:

• Blackheath town centre
• Katoomba town centre
• Leura town centre
• Wentworth Falls town centre
• Glenbrook town centre
• Cahill's and Boar's Head Lookouts
• Echo Point Precinct (expansion of current area)
• Katoomba Falls
• Leura Cascades
• Gordon Falls
• Wentworth Falls Lake
• Falls Rd adjacent to Wentworth Falls Lookout
• Fletcher St and Valley Rd adjacent to Conservation Hut
• Lincolns Rock

Visitors and residents must be made aware that there is a Stage 3 of the plan, which makes clear that expansion into other areas of the mountains is the goal. Minne HaHa falls is mentioned in a Council document as being included in the scheme in the future. Parking at all our beloved places will become a potential source of revenue for the Council.

The laid back atmosphere of our beloved Blue Mountains is under threat!