Tea Tree Gully Council takes $620,000 in parking fines, but second park ‘n’ ride is delayed

A northeastern council has collected more than $620,000 in parking fines in the past 14 months — while a second park ‘n’ ride has been deferred for years.

Tea Tree Gully councillor Lucas Jones is campaigning for a second park ‘n’ ride in Modbury to keep up with demand for parking in the area. Picture: AAP / Sam Wundke

• Council forgets to include visitor parking at homes opposite park n ride

There are renewed calls to bring forward construction of a second park ‘n’ ride at Modbury Interchange following a year of more than $600,000 in parking expiations in areas surrounding the interchange.

Tea Tree Gully Council issued 10,056 parking fines at Westfield Tea Tree Plaza and streets within a 500m radius of the interchange between January last year and March.

The fines, ranging from $50 to $280, cost drivers a combined $620,987.

Tea Tree Gully councillor Lucas Jones said it’s not fair for residents to have to risk parking illegally because there are not enough parking spaces at the current park ‘n’ ride.

“This is evidence that we need a second park ‘n’ ride built now not deferred for two, three or four years – that’s not good enough,” he said.

“It’s clear the only option is to build a second park ‘n’ ride as was promised by the government and we can’t afford political games getting in the way of residents getting slugged over half a million dollars every single year where the park ‘n’ ride is being delayed.”

Cr Jones said parking in the area had become more problematic in the area recently.

“I think now we’ve got to the stage where we’re at breaking point,” he said.

“I think it’s a well-known fact around the northeast if you’re not at the park ‘n’ ride by 8am don’t even bother driving down there.

“Which then means that residents living within a kilometre radius of the park ‘n’ ride then have to put up with residents parking out the front of their houses every single day, which is unfair.”

The Labor government included a $15 million upgrade to parking facilities at Modbury and Klemzig in its 2017 budget.

The upgrade would mean an extra 300 parking spaces at Modbury, increasing capacity to 1000.

The project was delayed after the State Government announced $18.5 million in funding to prioritise park ‘n’ rides at Golden Grove and Paradise.

Transport Minister Stephan Knoll confirmed the State Government plans to upgrade the Modbury park ‘n’ ride but will prioritise other locations.

“The Marshall government remains committed to delivering the previously budgeted park ‘n’ rides at Tea Tree Plaza and Klemzig,” Mr Knoll said.

“However, we will be prioritising the Paradise and Golden Grove park ‘n’ rides because there is a far greater need for more carparks at these two locations.”

Mr Knoll said the Paradise Interchange was being given precedence because it was used by approximately 5,300 people a day.

“That’s why the Paradise interchange park ‘n’ ride is the Marshall government’s priority and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2020,” he said.

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