Mayor Sue Heins has used her casting vote to block a proposal to return physical multi-use parking permits to Manly, rejecting concerns that the new digital system is unworkable for residents.
Editor’s note: Please note this relates only to the multi-use permits for Manly residents, not the stickers that allow free  parking along local beaches nor the general manly residential parking permits.
Northern Beaches Council rolled out the digital system recently, replacing removable physical stickers with vehicle registrations accessed through an online portal. The shift has drawn complaints from residents managing multiple cars, with the multi-use permit now requiring advance booking, capping free sessions at 40 annually, and charging $5 for additional sessions.
Deputy Mayor Candy Bingham’s motion sought to maintain physical multi-use permits, citing particular difficulties for multi-vehicle households and the new requirement to go online for each use of the permit. Previously, one physical permit could be transferred between vehicles.
The proposal failed on the mayoral casting vote, keeping the digital scheme in place.
“We’ve had no complaints about the introduction of the digital permits to this scheme, with the exception of the multi-use permit, which many residents found unworkable,” Cr Bingham told the chamber last night.
“Now, using the digital form, any household who wishes to use the multi-use permit, once they have applied for it, must go to the council website, find the relevant page, enter their address, the date, registration of the visiting vehicle, say what hours you’re expected to use it, then press activate every single time that permit is used. If visitors stay more than one day it must be entered again every single day per visit.
“The same applies to carers and NDIS providers, for example, of which there may be many visiting in one week. At present, you’re only allowed to total 40 times per year using this permit. Then $5 each additional day is charged. This could be an additional $1,625 on top of the cost of permits of $121 to use the permit every day.”
“The system simply doesn’t work.”
Council has stated the multi-use permit was always intended for temporary use by visitors, tradespeople and carers, not as a third household permit. It noted that dedicated carer permit options already exist, and that residents can allow guests to use their driveway while parking their own vehicles on the street using their regular residential parking permit.
With one Manly ward councillor absent, the vote was seven for and seven against, forcing the mayor to make the call.
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Unhappy start for some as parking permits go digital at Manly
