Here’s the story — the City of Melbourne, Australia has a $400 per space annual tax on monthly parking. That’s $33.33 a month for those of you who have been breathing just a bit too much CO.
So, parking has gone underground. Parkers are making side deals with local residents on a space by space basis to get around the tax. There are web sites set up to put parkers and spaces together. Money changes hands in cash, and all are happy, except the city, of course.
The tax is only in a special Central business district area (read the story here)
So developers are building garages and even some shopping and business sites, just outside the area to escape the tax.
Here’s a good case of where parking tax is not working and in fact hurting the business in the area. Its been said the power to tax is the power to destroy — so the parking business is being destroyed in Melbourne, or at least sent underground.
Maybe its a good thing — can you imagine the number of spaces that are being made available in the private sector simply because people don’t want to pay the extra $400 a year. Heck, the city may not have to build a new garage and will save all that money.
JVH
