Member for Port Macquarie, Leslie Williams has encouraged candidates running for a spot on council at this Saturday's local government election to inspect the unacceptable condition of the Hamilton Green carpark and commit to fixing it if they are elected.

Speaking in Parliament last Thursday (November 25), Mrs Williams made a plea to council to urgently commit funding to undertake detailed designs to improve the car park.

Council responded saying that while it has sealed a significant portion of the car park site, it is Crown-owned land and they would be seeking financial support from the State government, or alternate funding, to complete any more work.

"Hamilton Green is on Crown land under the trust management of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, and while many visitors rarely frequent NewIDAFE at the rear of the property it is used on a daily basis by those with disability requiring support and access to day programs," Mrs Williams said.

"NewIDAFE is a disability service provider with 110 clients, many of whom have a range of physical and intellectual disabilities and impairments, and many reliant on wheelchairs for mobility.

"While the car park is relatively flat, it is unsealed, potholed and totally unsafe. Even with minimal rainfall, the potholes, which resemble a lunar surface, quickly fill with water, making it even more dangerous and precarious for some of the most vulnerable in our community."

Mrs Williams says she has raised the issue with council for many years, calling for the need for improved drainage designs and the need to fully seal the car park.

"I have requested that if they could commit funds for these designs, I would support their application for Crown Lands Reserve Improvement funds or any other funding programs to undertake these much-needed works," she said.

"I urge all candidates to take the time to visit Hamilton Green and inspect firsthand the current condition of this car park. Further, I call on all the candidates to commit to finally fixing this mess as a matter of urgency before someone is seriously injured."

A Port Macquarie-Hastings Council spokesperson said council has negotiated a peppercorn rent for NewIDAFE to run their services out of a council-managed facility at Hamilton Green.

"This is at a nominal cost of just $500 annually, which is a fraction of the rent paid by other NDIS providers in the market," the spokesperson said.

"There is therefore no budget for council to allocate upwards of $30,000 towards the design of a new car park.

"We have, however, resurfaced a significant proportion of the site to provide better access for users.

"As the carpark is a Crown Lands-owned site managed by council, we have made representations to the office of Leslie Williams MP to pursue opportunities through State government agencies, such as Public Works Advisory, to design these works or find alternate funding that would support NewIDAFE in designing this work privately."

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