Sports camp parking to be monitored

The NSW Government has announced it will monitor visitor parking locations for the Broken Bay Sport and Recreation Centre at Little Patonga and implement changes if necessary.

The Brooklyn Community Association had asked the Member for Hornsby Mr Matt Kean "to take steps to relieve parking congestion at Brooklyn" by moving the centre's adult pick-up point from Brooklyn to Patonga.

Announcing the monitoring plan, Mr Kean said the centre had been hosting school and community groups for 75 years.

"These visitors are important for the local Brooklyn community as they bring much-needed business to local shops and cafes.

"The Centre is an asset to the village's tourism industry and we're happy to work together with the community so everyone can enjoy this beautiful part of the Hawkesbury region.

"We don't believe our clients are causing any problems with parking in Brooklyn - the majority are school children who arrive by bus."

However, Brooklyn Community Association president Mr Robert Arnold said there was a "major parking problem in Brooklyn".

"We have a range of people who utilise parking for a holiday or multi-day holidays.

"We want to look at how the longer term parking can be better handled," he said.

Mr Arnold said conversations had taken place with Mr Kean about a study into Brooklyn's parking issues and a plan was in place to perform the study.

"The Broken Bay Sport and Recreation Centre in Patonga is just one of the parking issues of about half a dozen different parking requirements that we have.

"We want to provide parking for people who are catching the train as well.

"Our goal is that if we have medium-term, long-term parking then we move that off what is now our best short-term visitor parking place.

"The parking for people travelling to Patonga is right in the centre of Brooklyn so I understand why it is a big issue for the people involved.

"These issues have been in Brooklyn for many years and parking has been an issue for many years and there are quite a few people who are passionate about these issues."

Media Statement, 5 Jun 2013

Matt Kean, Member for Hornsby

Kaitlin Watts, 23 May 2013

Interviewee: Robert Arnold