Council’s Development Contributions Manager, Tim Molloy, said the Wauchope Section 94 Car Parking Fund was established in 1993.

“The overall plan covers Port Macquarie, Laurieton and Wauchope but there is a specific section for the Wauchope central business district,” he said.

“Currently, there is $132,753 designated to Wauchope and there would also be some interest accrued so far this year.

“When a business redevelops it also has to provide on-site parking but one of the options for council is for a contribution to the car parking fund. That current rate of contribution is $4964 per parking space.

“The intent of the plan is for council to be able to provide additional off-street parking in the Wauchope CBD.

“In the initial 1993 report it was proposed that the fund would create an extra 56 spaces by 2011.

“While that report is quite a few years old, council is currently undertaking the Wauchope CBD Master Plan process. The results of that review will feed into a review of the parking contributions rate.”

Mr Molloy said one of the recommendations that could come from that review may be to undertake specific parking projects for Wauchope.

“If the Master Plan review decides that we need additional parking in a specific location in Wauchope, council could make the decision to use the money out of the section 94 fund,” he said.

“The money is to be used for car parking in Wauchope and it cannot be used for any other purpose.

“And that purpose could be for the purchase of land or the actual construction of car parking infrastructure.”