$1.3m paid parking plan in Brunswick Heads, Bangalow and Mullumbimby has been revealed
A controversial parking meter plan is back on the agenda for three NSW coastal towns that successfully rallied against the move in the past. The lucrative plan could net up to $1.3m revenue.
Regional News
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Paid parking in three Byron coastal towns is back on the agenda as new data reveals a $1.3 million revenue boost is possible.
Byron Shire Council is considering paid parking in Brunswick Heads, Bangalow and Mullumbimby using projections at $4 an hour, $5 an hour and $6 an hour.
The projections are based on 2018-19 Byron Bay parking figures which show at $4 an hour, the council generated $3.6m from metre charges and $690, 100 from business ($110 a year) and residents permits ($55 a year).
The data shows parking would generate an extra $900,000 if the tariff was $5 an hour and an extra $1.8m if the cost was raised to $6 an hour.
The Byron Shire council moved to new parking meters in 2020 and lost access to old parking data detailing a breakdown of permit types and metre transactions.
A council report acknowledges the revenue predictions “would be less if the fee increases and reduce the usage of the parking scheme, but that is unknown”.
The predictions are making assumptions based on the parking turnover at Byron Bay’s 2200 parking spaces in 2018-19 and that parking behaviour would not change despite increased fees.
The report on paid parking, which went before the council on Thursday, detailed different priorities for each area and asked councillors to vote on proceeding with investigations for each.
“Pay parking can be a contentious issue and should only be committed to when the parking data and a benefit cost ratio supports its implementation,” it reads.
Brunswick Heads
A council report suggests there could be paid parking in five Brunswick Heads streets — 106 two-hour parking spots in Fingal, Terrace and Mullumbimby Sts and 81 one-hour parks in Park St and Balun Lane.
The report says benefit cost ratio advice should consider parking occupancy of visitors and locals, metered parking time limits (daily, weekends and public holidays), permit zones, payment methods and parking on land the council does not control east of the river.
“An expert parking consultant should be considered for assessing the benefit cost ratio for pay parking within the Brunswick Heads village centre,” the report said.
“This will help council understand if parking would mostly be used by residents or tourists and in turn the likely revenue.”
The reports suggest more work needs to be done around whether carparking spaces near Banner Park and the Torakina Beach Car Park — which may subject to Native Title claims — could have meters.
This is not the first time paid park has been raised for Brunswick Heads but the plans were shelved after significant community feedback.
A Brunswick Heads Chamber of Commerce business survey found businesses felt the council had not heard them on paid parking, with more than 90 per cent of businesses predicting negative impacts on their businesses, jobs and the town’s economy if it were introduced.
Bangalow
The report seeks to find cost-effective ways parking meters in historic Bangalow “could be made to better suit aesthetically the heritage nature of the town”.
Pay parking contractors confirmed several options available for heritage-friendly parking meters including smaller and more subtle card-only meters or using the PayStay mobile phone app to reduce the number of meters need.
Other options were to paint or wrap the metre in heritage colours or place an artistically-designed box around the metre.
Bangalow Pay Parking was ready to be rolled out a number of years ago, but cancelled after strong community feedback.
When the council back then resolved to put the plan aside, Bangalow Chamber of Commerce President Jo Millar said she was elated to see all her community‘s hard work pay off.
Mrs Millar had argued the process was flawed and councillors agreed, including Councillor Paul Spooner.
Cr Spooner noted some data collection for the paid parking proposal was down on the day Bangalow held the Bluegrass festival when a population of 2000 became 4000.
Mullumbimby
The report reads paid parking is “a management option best considered when other options have been first deployed”.
“It also typically requires at least 80 per cent occupancy, which for Mullumbimby only accounts for about 32 per cent of the public parking stock,” it reads.
But a review of parking in the area has identified all the short-term parking within the town centre that has an occupancy rate greater than 79 per cent.
“The potential revenue for these zones also considers Byron Bay’s occupancy rates at $4 with no change to occupancy at the five, or six-dollar tariff,” it reads.
The reports suggests the council staff should meet with Transport for New South Wales to discuss parking and overflow issues related to temporary housing within Mullumbimby and possible legacy outcomes from this initiative related to parking areas.
The NSW government is now placing temporary pod homes in the town after the devastating floods earlier in the year.
These are discussions to look at potential parking sites on the fringes of Mullumbimby including a parcel of vacant land near Mullumbimby train station.
The report reads that not withstanding, due to the recent disaster events temporary housing for displaced flood victims has been prioritised.
“Accordingly, any future planning for fringe parking around Mullumbimby will first have to consider the recent temporary housing sites and the impacts from traffic/parking generation from this type of accommodation,” it reads.
Infrastructure Planning will also investigate whether these parking arrangements can become legacy items for Mullumbimby once the situation around the need for temporary housing has been resolved, it reads.
There was a protest outside the chambers in Mullumbimby as all three communities sought to have the parking plan put on ice.
Council decision
The council voted to allocate $140,000 to fund an updated parking study for Brunswick Heads with an expanded pay parking area as well as an assessment of current supply, demand and time limits.
Councillors have asked for a report by April 2023 on the above and also on comparative pay parking rates in other local government areas.
For Mullumbimby, they voted to consult with Transport for NSW about parking and overflow associated with the temporary pod flood housing within the rail corridor and possible legacy outcomes related to parking areas.
The council also seeks a further report recommending rules on the number of parking permits per residence, and a report on Broken Head Reserve Road parking improvements and a possible pay parking precinct expansion.
The motion was put to the vote and carried. Cr Alan Hunter voted against the motion.
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Originally published as $1.3m paid parking plan in Brunswick Heads, Bangalow and Mullumbimby has been revealed
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