Council lodged the development application for the $12 million five level multi-storey car park on the corner of Berry and Worrigee streets in Nowra on June 12.

The proposal for the 646 car and motorcycle parking spaces is currently before the Joint Regional Planning Panel for approval.

“We want to see the multi-storey car park built sooner rather than later,” said committee member Lance Sewell.

“We know it is council’s 10-year plan but that can easily disappear into the never never.

“Our aim is to have the project financed and car park built within three years.”

He said council was willing to put up $5 million of the approximate $11-12 million price tag when the Illawarra Fund money was available and made a big point about it.

“So the money is there,” he said.

“Do we have to be like Huskisson?

“If we make enough noise will council do something - they bought the land out there for $3 million while saying they had no money.

“There is no point painting shops or putting down new footpaths if people will bypass the town because they can’t get a car park.

“We still have businesses going to South Nowra because they can get cheaper rates.”

The group has created the Nowra CBD Car Parking Development Committee Facebook page.

Mr Sewell said it would soon conduct a survey calling on residents to lodge their complaints about parking in the area.

“Parking in the Nowra CBD is limited. If you don’t get into the all day car park before 8.15am you don’t get a park,” he said.

“Then you can’t park anywhere in Nowra for more than three hours.

“Shoppers and workers have to move their cars every couple of hours to try and avoid being fined.

“If people can’t park in the Nowra CBD they won’t come here to shop.”

While it is hard to prove, Mr Sewell estimates between 25-30 per cent of local money is escape spending to other areas.

“The natural reason is the parking,” he said.