Cairns Regional Council increases off-street parking rate
Cairns Regional Council endorsed a general increase of five per cent to the fees and charges as well as new applications for highway billboards. HOW FEE HIKES WILL IMPACT YOU
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CAIRNS Regional Council has supported applications for highway billboards, an increase to parking fees and will kick off a hunt for innovative design concepts in the next stage of the Cairns Gallery Precinct upgrade.
On Wednesday Cairns Regional Council endorsed an application to install a roadside billboard on the Bruce Highway Edmonton by Paradise Outdoor Advertising.
A second digital illuminated sign on State Rail-owned land at Ray Jones Drive also got the thumbs up, however councillor Cathy Zeiger raised road safety concerns and voted against the advertising devices.
“(The Edmonton billboard) appears to be operating 24-hours a day and I am a bit surprised that TMR have approved it,” she told the meeting.
“This is just an outdoor revenue raiser and there could be safety issues.”
Planning director Ed Johnson explained the Edmonton billboard was illuminated 24 hours a day but was a standard roadside device.
In regard to fees and charges that make up seven per cent of total operating revenue worth $26m annually, council endorsed a general increase of five per cent to the fees and charges for the 2021/22 financial year.
Planning and development fees will not change, but off-street parking fees will increase by $1 a day at the Bunda St carpark to $3 a day in a 200 per cent increase.
Parking charges at Hartley St and CPAC carparks will increase to $4 a day.
In other increases, council will introduce a solar panel disposal fee at transfer stations of $10 per panel.
Councillors also supported a move by the Reef Hotel Casino to divest a carpark on Wharf St leased from the Cairns Port Authority that was an obligation of the developer under the Cairns Casino Agreement Act when the facility was built in 1993.
Councillor Brett Olds said the decision was a “commonsense” outcome.
“They have more than enough car parks,” he said.
The council will offer a letter of support to the Reef Casino Trust to assist in a request to the state government to alter the car park clause of the act.
Councillors also unanimously supported the entering of a two-stage tender process to repurpose the old Mulgrave Shire offices and upgrade the existing Cairns Art Gallery to form part of the Cairns Gallery Precinct.
A total of $10m between 2020 and 2022 in ratepayer funds had been earmarked for the project and the state government has kicked in $10m.
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Originally published as Cairns Regional Council increases off-street parking rate
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