The Auditor General, Caroline Spencer has reported on the Administration of the Perth Parking Levy, finding there was no clear plan for the $190 million unspent from the levy.
Ms Spencer said the money raised through the levy helped to fund a range of projects to improve and encourage the use of public transport, enhance the pedestrian environment and support bicycle access to discourage cars coming into the city centre.
“The Department of Transport plays a key role in planning how money from the levy, held in the Perth Parking Licensing Account, is used, including consulting on projects with key stakeholders such as the State’s transport entities and the City of Perth,” Ms Spencer said.
“The audit found that Department officers are well informed of the purpose, opportunities and restrictions relating to the account — however, the absence of a specific plan to spend the collected levy has contributed to the account balance increasing by about $30 million a year over the last five years to over $190 million.”
She said a lack of consistent consultation with the City of Perth, as required by legislation, and public reporting, further contributed to community speculation about why some projects were funded and others were not.
“The audit found one project that does not meet the requirements of the levy’s stated purpose, was conditionally approved for $580,000 subject to planned legislative amendments,” Ms Spencer said.
“There remains uncertainty among stakeholders about what future projects, such as the Perth City Deal, might be funded from the increasing account balance.”
She noted the State had more than $14 billion allocated in special purpose accounts and needed to ensure they were not mismanaged.
“Robust planning, consultation with key stakeholders, and clear and comprehensive policies and procedures to assess the relative merits and eligibility of funded projects will reduce this risk,” the Auditor General said.
The 22-page Audit Report can be accessed at this PS News link and the Audit team was Aloha Morrissey, Dr Jacqueline Richards, Sussan Fowler, Daniel Franks and Wendi Zeng.
