‘Shameful’ warning from Runaway Bay Centre shocks Couran Cove boatie

A boatie has vowed to boycott a Gold Coast shopping centre after she was reported to police for illegal parking while visiting a sick friend in hospital.

A boatie has vowed to boycott a Gold Coast shopping centre after she was reported to police for illegal parking while visiting a sick friend in hospital.

For years, Couran Cove Island Resort resident Rhonda Dalgleish has moored her boat at Runaway Bay Centre’s pontoon while she shopped.

During her regular shopping trip on Friday, Ms Dalgleish said she took a call from a sick friend staying in a Brisbane hospital who had just received some bad news.

Couran Cove resident Rhonda Dalgleish. Picture: Tertius Pickard

“I dropped everything and rushed to be by her side. It wasn’t planned,” she said.

Ms Dalgleish left her boat moored at the centre’s pontoon overnight.

When she returned the next day, she found a note from centre management which stated her boat had been reported to police as an “illegally parked vessel on a private jetty”.

The warning letter Couran Cove resident Rhonda Dalgleish received.

The Couran Cove resident described the action as “shameful”.

She said she was not aware of time limits at the jetty and her attempts to explain the situation to staff were unsuccessful.

Runaway Bay Centre retail and commercial manager Marisa Laister said she was aware of the customer’s complaint.

“The (two) pontoons are available for all Runaway Bay Centre customers,” she said.

“The two-hour parking time limit is there to ensure that space is available for all customers who wish to utilise this unique facility when visiting Runaway Bay Shopping Centre.”

Two-hour parking signs had recently been installed to replace the previous “welcome boaties” signage, Ms Dalgleish said.

Signage installed at the Runaway Bay Centre.

The centre’s website described the boat parking service as “one to enjoy” with “16 berthing spaces across two pontoons”.

“Runaway Bay Centre is a convenient, accessible shopping destination for Couran Cove Resort, South Stradbroke, and Russell Island residents with water taxis available for transportation.”

Ms Dalgleish described centre management’s response as “disgraceful”, given how much Couran Cove residents had supported it over the years.

She said individual retailers had always welcomed residents, but added: “I will never go to that shopping centre again.”

Originally published as ‘Shameful’ warning from Runaway Bay Centre shocks Couran Cove boatie