Where to get reasonably priced parking in Civic?

Defence can’t charge for parking, as they are part of the parliamentary triangle. Lots of staff wish they would charge, and then you could actually get a spot there. Before civic parking became such a shocker defence staff had no trouble parking, there are ample places for the defence workers.

– and on good buses for the inner north – they used to be ok, but in the latest round of ‘improvements’ to Action, they were drastically reduced – perhaps to match the services everywhere else.

Argh. Stuffed up me code above. The first para is the quote from Berraboy about Defence. The rest is mine and shouldn’t be in italics. (I much prefer Whirlpool’s method, where you select what you want to quote).

Berraboy said

BerraBoy68 said :

Vic Bitterman said :

The Dep’t has been considering making the Defence car-parks ‘staff only’ for years to stop people who work in town parking there but the fringe benefits tax would kill their budget.

I always wondered how DFAT afforded their staff carpark/s. Tehy have a big one under neath, open to anyone there early enough, and then there’s the big one over the road on Brisbane Ave. You need a sticker and of course there’s teh boom gate. And a fake cop standing there during rush hour to stop the kerb hoppers. I figured it must attract FBT?

They’re soon to lose that, as it’s where the new Climate Change building is going. Parking in Barton is going to become hell as several hundred DFAT cars go nosing around for a park.

Morgan said :

Why should defence staff get free parking? If they are so upset about the lack of parking, charge like everywhere else…

Cos they are precious Morgan, that’s why!!! lol

Why should defence staff get free parking? If they are so upset about the lack of parking, charge like everywhere else…

BerraBoy68 said :

Vic Bitterman said :

I park for free at the defence carparks in Russell and I have my pushbike in the back of the wagon. 10 minute ride into work. And free parking, and exercise. Bliss!

I can’t believe you admit to that. I used to work at Russell, still go there weekly for meetings in fact, and I think it’s fair to say many of those who work there roundly despise those who park there then transit into the city to their own workplace.

Not that that’s how I feel necessarily, but I certainly wouldn’t advertise the fact you do it.

Why not ride your bike all the way from home so you can feel even more ‘blissful’?

The Dep’t has been considering making the Defence car-parks ‘staff only’ for years to stop people who work in town parking there but the fringe benefits tax would kill their budget.

When I worked in town some years ago, I joined the Canberra City Bowling Club in Turner. Cost me about $100 for the year and I got to park there everyday. Now my office is right next to James Court apartments (on Northbourne) and due to the benevolence of my employer I get free parking at the back of our building. That really is gold.

Why not?

Approx 20 minute drive from Tuggers to Russell. Then another 10 minutes on the old deadly treadly. Great daily exercise!!!

At least 2 other co-workers of mine do the same. Anecdotally I see quite a few others doing the same, the I see the same people regularly each week.

Money in our pockets as public servants, we are not on a time-clock like contractots, in which case the 10 minute ride would be worth less than clocking on after parking nearby!

Vic Bitterman said :

I park for free at the defence carparks in Russell and I have my pushbike in the back of the wagon. 10 minute ride into work. And free parking, and exercise. Bliss!

I can’t believe you admit to that. I used to work at Russell, still go there weekly for meetings in fact, and I think it’s fair to say many of those who work there roundly despise those who park there then transit into the city to their own workplace. Not that that’s how I feel necessarily, but I certainly wouldn’t advertise the fact you do it. Why not ride your bike all the way from home so you can feel even more ‘blissful’?

The Dep’t has been considering making the Defence car-parks ‘staff only’ for years to stop people who work in town parking there but the fringe benefits tax would kill their budget.

When I worked in town some years ago, I joined the Canberra City Bowling Club in Turner. Cost me about $100 for the year and I got to park there everyday. Now my office is right next to James Court apartments (on Northbourne) and due to the benevolence of my employer I get free parking at the back of our building. That really is gold.

I park for free at the defence carparks in Russell and I have my pushbike in the back of the wagon. 10 minute ride into work. And free parking, and exercise. Bliss!

harvyk1 said :

tylersmayhem said :

i’ve thought about the bus however i’m one of those people that it doesn’t suit at all

Hi sunshine – I’m wondering why this doesn’t “suit”?

I don’t know about sunshine, but for me buses don’t suit because they take twice as long as a car, they go at awful times, and they all take the scenic route from my place. I have found that the only places where buses are any good are in the inner south, inner north and Belconnen. I think Action decided that these where the money spots and that the rest of Canberra could get screwed. Considering I’ve lived in most area’s of Canberra, this was my experience, it was these places which got a half decent bus service. The rest of Canberra got rubbish.

harvyk1 said :

tylersmayhem said :

i’ve thought about the bus however i’m one of those people that it doesn’t suit at all

there’s some more of my reasons

tylersmayhem said :

i’ve thought about the bus however i’m one of those people that it doesn’t suit at all

Hi sunshine – I’m wondering why this doesn’t “suit”?

lots of reasons! to mention just a few: can’t stand being in confined spaces with sweaty strangers, buses too unreliable, need my car to travel around for work, could go on but shan’t bore you with my reasons.

harvyk1 said :

Pandy said :

If people rode their bikes or walked instead of travelling by car or bus 9or light rail), they would lose weight and get fit.

Well aren’t you holier than thou. For me, walking or riding into the city from home is not an option. It’d make using the bus a time saving option. I agree, if your only a few Km’s from work, then walk or ride. But it’s not something that most of Canberra can do.

I don’t know if they still do it, but when I worked in the city (and I had a reason to drive, I needed to visit multiple customer sites.) I brought a monthly parking pass from the gov shopfronts. They ended up been about $100 a month. Provided you drove most days it was the cheapest way by far. I saved about $40 a month on parking by using the prepaid tickets.

I visit multiple clients in civic. I park at work (phillip) walk to woden and catch the bus to the city. visit clients, come back to woden, done.

I try to ensure that my day is based around geographical locations. I visit clients in proximity to each other. If I need to go out to another site, I aim for more than one visit at that location.

work is free parking, and the cost for the bus is not as bad as the parking charges.

tylersmayhem said :

i’ve thought about the bus however i’m one of those people that it doesn’t suit at all

Hi sunshine – I’m wondering why this doesn’t “suit”?

I don’t know about sunshine, but for me buses don’t suit because they take twice as long as a car, they go at awful times, and they all take the scenic route from my place. I have found that the only places where buses are any good are in the inner south, inner north and Belconnen. I think Action decided that these where the money spots and that the rest of Canberra could get screwed. Considering I’ve lived in most area’s of Canberra, this was my experience, it was these places which got a half decent bus service. The rest of Canberra got rubbish.

Well they had the DA stuff out for that carpark back in 2001, can’t remember who was named on the DA. I wonder why it didn’t go ahead?

don’t tell anyone, but there are two on-street parking spots diagonally opposite Gus’ (sic) beside the new ATO building. They are unsigned, so you can park there all day for free!

If the rex shuts down that car park, I have decided that on my non riding days i’ll park my car at the free parking in Dickson and ride the 10 minutes into work.

Funny though, I have heard rumours that its actuall the Tradesmens and Labourers Club that owns that patch of bitumen.

The rex owened the smaller patch next door where the old fella used to clean every morning.

tylersmayhem said :

So Ant, you would really turn down a good job in Civic because of the parking situation?! Wow!

I have, often. There are plenty of other “good jobs” without having to squander so much money on parking. On the occasions I did accept jobs in civic, the employer paid an extra allowance for parking.

Dan, that’s so funny the Rex is still parkable! I think I last used it in 2001, and the yellow signs had been up for quite a while. It filled up around 8am or later then, and then you’d have to go to the little patch the Rex owned and pay an old bloke $2.
I thought doom was imminent and we’d all be wandering the streets shortly, looking for spots.

$8 a day on the roof of CityWest if you are on that side of the city, and will get there before 0830.

ant, I believe that they are talking about the car park that is where the robo-toilets are at the end of Mort Street.

I park at the rear of the rex on the 2 days a week I do not ride, and certainly last Thursday it remained, as it has for my 3 years working in town, free 🙂

Get there before 0730 though

I don’t take any interest in jobs in Civic, teh parking thing is just too silly nowadays.

So Ant, you would really turn down a good job in Civic because of the parking situation?! Wow!

i’ve thought about the bus however i’m one of those people that it doesn’t suit at all

Hi sunshine – I’m wondering why this doesn’t “suit”?

I agree that the monthly paid parking tickets from the Govt shopfront are good. Parking over near the paddle boat hire ends up at only about $3.60 a day with the discounted monthly pass! And its a nice 5-15 mins stroll to work (depending on which side of civic you work at!)

Pandy said :

If people rode their bikes or walked instead of travelling by car or bus 9or light rail), they would lose weight and get fit.

Well aren’t you holier than thou. For me, walking or riding into the city from home is not an option. It’d make using the bus a time saving option. I agree, if your only a few Km’s from work, then walk or ride. But it’s not something that most of Canberra can do.

I don’t know if they still do it, but when I worked in the city (and I had a reason to drive, I needed to visit multiple customer sites.) I brought a monthly parking pass from the gov shopfronts. They ended up been about $100 a month. Provided you drove most days it was the cheapest way by far. I saved about $40 a month on parking by using the prepaid tickets.

I take it the great Rex rort has finally been closed down? I used to park there every day, but you had to get in early.

Have lost the abilit to type. Need coffee.

If you can get in before….that should read.

If can get it before or around 8am, the carpark up near Hague park, at the end of Mort STreet, is $5 a day and you can have a 10 or so minute walk and be at work easily!

Buy your lunch at the Holy Grail in civic near Glebe Park, they validate your parking at the Canberra Centre Target Carpark.

If people rode their bikes or walked instead of travelling by car or bus 9or light rail), they would lose weight and get fit.

If you turn into CIT where the set of lights is, there is a bitumen carpark for $5 a day behind the buildings. As long as you get to civic before nine, it should still have spaces.

The Canberra Centre rooftop parking is $10 a day now.

With the numbers coming in from the East every day, turning the roads into carparks, they really need some park and rides, maybe in the paddocks between Qbn and Canberra.

And imagine if the govt invested in proper Park and Ride options.
Instead we have people inventing their own park and ride,using the russell and barton carparks.

I don’t take any interest in jobs in Civic, teh parking thing is just too silly nowadays. I used to live 7 kms from Civic, but there was no bus there! Still isn’t. And there certainly is no bus where I live now, although the Deane’s buses take the kids into town for school.

I do wish they’d get serious about building office buildings away from congested town centres. I choose where to work based on location (or discount jobs based on location). I’m sure enough people would make the same choices. Imagine if all those people queued up on Majura rd every day had the option of working in Gungalin?

sounds like you best just retire now and spend the days with your zimmer frame and the odd bit of a job in the garden… beat the rush.

Sunshine – car pool a few days a week; cuts down on petrol, share the parking fees. 🙂

Yea i would reccomend the CIT dirt car park which is only $5 a day. The only setback is that is is full of potholes.
And i would not reccomend parking there when it is raining -all of the many potholes fill with water and the whole carpark turns into a lake

LlamaFrog said :

use a bus…. very amusing.

Why not, the bus might turn up, might not be full in the morning and might not take you for a trip around canberra before going to its destination an hour later.

Otherwise ensure that you are getting appropriate compensation from your new job to cover the extra cost of parking.

Depends where though – if you live near a town center it’s usually more reliable. But if you’re in the suburbs, you’re screwed. I’d say ride a bike if you live anywhere near the city. The inner-north seems to have an excellent network of bike-paths.

use a bus…. very amusing.

Why not, the bus might turn up, might not be full in the morning and might not take you for a trip around canberra before going to its destination an hour later.

Otherwise ensure that you are getting appropriate compensation from your new job to cover the extra cost of parking.

Buy a monthly bus pass. Park at Treasury or behind Questacon for free then walk under Adelaide Ave to Albert Hall. Jump on any intertown service – you’re in Civic in just a couple of minutes. Don’t think of it as a bus pass – think of it as paid parking with a shuttle service.

I park at the treasury building on the other side of the lake, and do the 30 minute walk over the bridge into the city.

That way you don’t pay a thing, and you get some excercise in the process.

Probably next to the place where you get coffee

Please refer to previous threads “where can I buy a cup of coffee” or “how do I find a plumber” etc!

thanks for all your suggestions guys……..david the CIT is looking good at this point
motorcycle/bicycle noooooooooooooo and i’ve thought about the bus however i’m one of those people that it doesn’t suit at all

Motorcycle? Bicycle?

Can I suggest that you look at using public transport to commute to your new job.

I appreciate that it doesnt suit everyone, but I think that rather than default mode of transport to work being a car, other options starting with using public transport should be considered.

All day parking in Civic isnt going to get any cheaper.

Is the roof top at Canberra center still all day for $9?? Or did they change that??

Hey bigfeet,

There are a couple of cheaper options depending on where you are in Civic and if you don’t mind a short walk.

The parking @ the local CIT is only $5 per day (but it is a dirt car park and your car seems to get a bit dirty by the end of the week)

You can also park for FREE a little bit up from that car park at the Anzac parade west building which is about a 13 – 15 min walk in to the city.

There is also the car park near the city pool which I think the cost is $7 per day?

I hope this helps

Cheers

David

$150 per month at Clifton apartments on Northbourne.