Rockingham dentist frustrated over parking fine

A Rockingham dentist was left frustrated last week when he was hit with a parking fine after he was forced to park on a grass verge outside his practice.

Dr Rick Venter was fined $65 on Thursday when suitable parking could not be found outside Rockingham Medical Centre.

Dr Venter, who has worked at the Primary Dental practice since December, said it was “frustrating” he and a second member of staff were fined, when there was “no other choice” but to park on the grass outside the Civic Boulevard health complex.

“It’s very frustrating because I drove around several times, passing other members of staff who were also looking to park, before I parked on the grass,” he said.

“There are no signs to say you cannot park there and there is even a ramp from the car park on to the grass for cars to drive up on to it.”

Dr Venter said his ground-level practice, along with the doctor’s surgery upstairs, regularly had 600 patients per day between them and there were only about 200 parking spaces.

Rockingham Mayor Barry Sammels said the City was aware the area was popular and busy and said future developments would result in increased parking spaces at the site.