How does the 75% statutory ratio work?
A public car park must declare the number of leviable spaces by applying a ratio to non-exempt spaces. The 75% ratio assumes that, during a calendar year, 75% of the spaces in a public car park will be used as long stay parking spaces and 25% will be either short stay or unused. It is assumed that the ratio will be 75% unless the owner/operator obtains approval for a different ratio from the SRO. If the car park does have a lower incidence of long stay parking spaces, the operator must seek approval to use a lower ratio. Invariably, this will require the operator to provide data on actual parking usage for a sample period. Please click here for further details. When the operator lodges the first return, they can accept the statutory ratio of 75% to start with and seek a lower ratio during 2006. This would mean that the initial assessment would be based on 75% but at the end of the year the Levy would be reassessed using the approved lower ratio. Any overpayment would be refunded.