Council parking changes at Milton spark fears businesses will close
Furious traders fear they will be driven to the wall by the latest Brisbane City Council inner-city parking crackdown.
Struggling Milton traders fear they will be driven out of business by new council parking rules which have left angry customers facing fines and steep hourly prices.
Council was forced to offer a temporary truce, which ended on September 12, after a backlash since the changes came into effect last month at about a dozen streets near the train station.
It claimed only 10 fines had been issued, a figure disputed by small businesses who claimed some customers were fined within an hour of street signs going up.
They said coffee shops, gyms and bars were already feeling the effect of the higher $6.80 per hour fees, up from $4.25, which were quietly introduced about the same time.
To make matters worse, a fixed camera on the area’s retail high street, Park Rd, was now being used to catch motorists as well as council’s fleet of car-mounted AI cameras, although a council spokeswoman said the fixed camera was unrelated to the recent rule changes.
“The change has been massive in the last week-and-a-half since word got around about people being fined. The streets are empty,’’ Fitstop Milton’s Mic Linfoot said.
“You will see restaurants, cafes, gyms closing if this stays, including on Park Rd.
“I was working in Fortitude Valley 20 years ago when it went from a lot of free parking to being metered from 7am to 7pm. Six months later half a dozen restaurants had closed as a result.’’
He feared the higher hourly parking rate would deter customers stopping for a coffee, haircut or gym session and already one of his customers had cancelled their membership.
Mechanic Jase Pearson said the car-mounted AI cameras were patrolling outside his workshop within an hour of the “confusing’’ new street signs going up.
Council officers hastily ziptied notices to the new street signs, explaining the changes that had been made, after complaints began to pour in.
He was particularly concerned that council had also removed most of the loading zones in the precinct.
“I’ve noticed a big drop off in productivity. We have to move six or seven cars when we get one up on the hoist, so we’re driving around the streets trying to find a park,’’ he said.
“I would pay for parking for my customers but the CellOPark app has a limit on the number of regos you can have on it.’’
Businesses such as bar and microbrewery Milton Common said they had been hit by a triple whammy of three-hour parking limits for their customers, higher parking fees and the removal of loading zones.
The changes also included forcing motorists to sign up for the controversial CellOPark app, which has been dogged by concerns about alleged data security and hidden “premium’’ charges.
But council infrastructure committee chair Danita Parry said the new rules were made to improve access and better manage demand, similar to other inner-city areas.
“I understand these changes have caused frustration for some local businesses and confusion for their customers,’’ she said.
“That’s why we immediately asked officers to install clearer signage and make sure everyone knows what’s changed.
“Council also waived the 10 fines issued (the week before last) and put in place a week-long grace period so locals have time to adjust.
“We will be having discussions with local businesses this month to ensure parking arrangements meet local needs, including consideration of additional loading zones.’’
Local state Labor MP Jonty Bush said the CellOPark app discriminated against those who did not have mobile phones, while motorists who forgot to update the app to confirm they had left their parking spot were hit with extra charges.
“I’ve met with 20 Milton people but so far I’ve had no response from the council CEO or (transport committee chair) Andrew Wines when I contacted them,’’ she said.
“I went out to a function (on September 12) and struggled to get back to my car within the three hours. It’s very restrictive.
“If you go down there for a coffee and cake it could easily end up costing you an extra $12 to park.’’
Ms Bush said concerned businesses were considering an open letter to council and were trying to get permission to address the council at its weekly meeting in City Hall.
Local Greens councillor Seal Chong Wah said she also had met with about 20 residents and traders, who had told her they were not consulted or even notified until after the changes came into effect.
She has started a petition calling for the rules to be reversed, or at least put on hold, until there had been public consultation.
“I’d also booked an urgent meeting with council’s transport team. Concerningly, it was cancelled at the last minute and postponed at least three weeks,’’ she posted on her Facebook page.
Red Hill resident Melanie Pirret said she was hit with 12 fines in the mail, totalling $4000, after parking outside her pilates studio over just three weeks while attending hour-long sessions.
She was forced to cancel her 30th birthday celebrations and also her new pilates membership, as well as borrowing $1000, to pay the fines.
But a council spokeswoman said her case was unrelated to the changes as Ms Pirret had illegally parked in a clearly marked no-stopping zone.
The zone was outside the new three-hour-limit street parking area and her fines were issued before the changes came into effect.
Park Rd traders had thought their parking woes were behind them six years ago after winning a decade-long battle with council to ease draconian 15-minute limits on Suncorp match days.
