Gladstone Council to pave paradise, put up a parking lot

“The community want it and there is a need for it.”

The Development Application image for a material change of use for a car park at 5 Agnes Street, Agnes Water.

A POPULAR tourist destination in the Gladstone region could soon solve its dire parking situation, with the addition of a large car park being considered by the council.

Gladstone Region councillors discussed the development application for a facility at 5 Agnes Street, Agnes Water, during a general meeting on Tuesday.

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Gladstone Regional Council’s acting general manager of customer experience, Rob Huth, said the application was prepared by Cardno on behalf of Gladstone Regional Council.

“Public notification was conducted by the applicant from August 12 to September 4 and during that period 28 properly made submissions were received,” Mr Huth said.
“Issued raised by the submitters included acid sulfate soil, storm water pollution, illegal camping and impacts on flora and fauna.

“As a result a revised plan was developed that’s seen an increase in the separation distance between the rear adjoining dwelling and decreased the number of carparks from 87 to 73.”

Councillor Rick Hansen said the car park’s projected site was a very ecologically sensitive area that GRC planned to build on, however, it was still a goal to do so.

“The residents are well within their rights, I think, to have an input in the car park’s final shape,” Cr Hansen said.

“As long as they can get that in the operational phase, I’m not sure if they can.

“I just think we need to be taking more of that concern into place during this DA.”

Deputy Mayor Cr Kahn Goodluck said he did not think the project would attract such a high level of interest from the community.

“We have listened to the community and had subsequent consultations as the applicants,” he said.

“We’ve changed the plans, I’m not suggesting it’s been perfect and that everyone’s satisfied, but from my perspective the plans have changed fairly dramatically from what the original plan was.”

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Councillor Desley O’Grady said there had been a parking problem in that section of Agnes Water since the Beach Club was built there.

“It is not a new problem that all these cars have started arriving, it was a problem back 20 years ago,” Cr O’Grady said.

The Chief Executive Officer’s recommendation to approve the Development Application was moved by Cr Goodluck and seconded by Cr O’Grady.