Wollongong City Council took almost a week to ask one of its contractors to remove lighting equipment it had parked in disabled spaces.
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The three disabled spaces are literally across the road from the council building on Burelli Street – clearly visible to staff walking out via the front doors.
They were moved the day after the Mercury started asking questions about the vehicles.
A council spokesman made no mention of whether its contractor would be fined for parking in a disabled space without the proper permit.
The lighting equipment has been parked in the disabled spaces outside the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre since at least Sunday, when Pamela, from Dapto, went to see a musical at the IPAC with her husband.
Pamela, who has a disability permit on her car because she can only walk quite short distances, said she was lucky her husband was driving that day.
“He dropped me right outside and then he had to go and park around in the council car park,” Pamela said.
“If I was on my own, I couldn’t have parked in that council car park and walked around. I would have just had to come home and miss the show.”
Pamela said there were a number of other elderly patrons – some in wheelchairs, some using walkers – who were at the show and they also voiced their disapproval at the equipment taking up the disabled spaces.
“I was disgusted that they would actually have the hide to park in disabled spaces,” she said.
I was disgusted that they would actually have the hide to park in disabled spaces.
- Pamela
"These are things that can be put down in the showground area.
“It’s disgusting. It’s a blatant ‘who gives a damn about the elderly?’.”
A spokesman for Wollongong City Council said the equipment was used during resurfacing work carried in Burelli Street on Friday, March 31.
“When that part of the works were complete, council removed its equipment, however a contractor for council left their lighting equipment in the disabled parking spaces in Burelli Street,” the spokesman said.
“Council has asked the contractor to remove their equipment and it has now been removed.
“Council apologises for this inconvenience.”