More than the usual amount of toot-toot chugga-chugga will play out on Wollongong roads next month when the world's most famous set of skivvies draws a record crowd and a possible parking frenzy to the city centre.
A year after The Wiggles concert that resulted in more than 100 parking fines, toddler royalty Sam, Murray, Jeff and Anthony are returning for two all but sold-out shows at WIN Entertainment Centre on December 11.
Yesterday event managers and council authorities unveiled a parking strategy intended to ease the impact of the mid-week influx of 10,000 fans to the city.
Angry concert-goers hit with fines
Rangers didn't target Wiggles show: council The entertainment centre and the council will set aside 730 car parking spots for concert-goers, with 135 spaces reserved at the council's Stewart St car park and room for more than 600 cars at the No 2 sports ground neighbouring WIN Stadium, weather permitting.
The secure parking will cost $5 each for ticket-holders and will have a time limit of four hours.
Entertainment centre general manager Stuart Barnes said the most challenging time of the day would be between midday and 1pm, when the 5000 concert-goers from the 10am show departed and a crowd of the same size arrived for the 1pm performance.
He encouraged use of the drop-off zone on Harbour St, the city's free shuttle bus and public transport.
He also urged parents to car-pool and to leave plenty of wiggle room.
"We're expecting parents with strollers, toddlers, the bag of bottles and nappies, etc, so it's not as if it's a rock 'n' roll concert, where people just turn up as they are seated,'' he said.
"They need to allow plenty of time to get here and get settled.''
Combined, the Wiggles crowd is the biggest to attend the entertainment centre, which has a concert capacity of 6000. Crowds double the size of last year could be possible.
Angry scenes marred the 2008 Wiggles concert, when scores of parents parked illegally on the grass beside marked bays along Marine Dr, sending parking rangers into overdrive with fines of $81 each.
Wollongong City Council manager of regulation and enforcement Peter Chrystal said there would be no relaxing of the parking rules this year.
Council maintains parking outside the bays is unsafe, due to issues of visibility and line of sight.
"Rangers will be patrolling around the entertainment centre during the day,'' he said.
"Allowing people to park where they like is not a risk the council is prepared to take.''
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