What the Changes to Parking at UON Mean for You
Hollie Hughes investigates the proposed on-campus parking changes for 2021.
If there is but one hot topic among both UON students and staff year in and year out it is definitely parking.
Whether its regarding prices of permits, or the number of spaces available, the current parking system has faced great criticism. In response UON has begun to make changes which will impact those who drive to University.
Engagement Officer within UON’s Infrastructure and Facilities Services, Tegan Betts, says the developments aim to make parking at UON easier and quicker for students and staff.
“We know that for many of our students and staff, driving is a core mode of transport. While we are looking at ways to enhance and encourage more sustainable options, we also want to make the parking experience as pain free as possible for our students and staff…Changes to the parking experience will be focused at Callaghan Campus, however we will also be looking if these solutions can also be implemented at Ourimbah,” says Tegan.
Between 29 June – 6 July, the University undertook a survey to garner student and staff feedback on proposed parking changes. The survey received over a thousand responses, with students representing more than 70% of the respondents.
Tegan Betts says, “Within the feedback what we found was a majority of respondents identified a distinct preference for [the implementation of] directional signage and an app showing parking availability.”
The survey results show that the majority of staff and students welcome changes to the current parking system, however, the project is still in its preliminary stages and any new improvements are not likely come into effect until 2021.
Bachelor of Arts/Laws student, Shania Fenton, says, “As someone who drives to University two or three times a week I am extremely excited for these changes to be implemented on campus and I’m glad the University has acknowledged the difficulties with the current parking system.”
Keep an eye out on the UON website and social media pages for updates on this project!
Feature Image: Madelyn Gardiner, Yak Media Designer
[…] Parking changes are being considered after a survey mid-last year proposed some alternatives to the current system. However, for now, day passes from the ticket machines or annual/half-yearly passes are available from Student Hubs. […]