Free car parks in Cairns almost 6m wide on Grafton St as Cairns Regional Council promises fix
Free parking spaces on one of Cairns CBD’s busiest streets are wide enough to park a maxi yacht, leaving the public frustrated as paid parking fees climb. FIND OUT MORE
Cairns
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cairns. Followed categories will be added to My News.
WHILE some drivers circle the Cairns CBD aimlessly, scouring the streets for a free car park, those lucky enough to nab a spot on one super-sized section of Grafton St score a luxury chunk of prime motoring real estate.
Some parking spaces span almost 6m wide, enough space to park a maxi yacht or almost two Kuranda Rail locomotives side-by-side.
The result, just in this section, is nine latent free parking spaces that, if marked properly, would be a welcome sight for both frustrated CBD customers and flustered workers trying to beat the parking inspectors.
Anna Timms, a former barista at Grafton St cafe Envy Espresso, said parking availability was always an issue.
“It was really hard to get a park for work whenever I had a shift,” she said.
Ms Timms hoped council would increase the number of free parking spaces after paid parking prices increased.
“The council should also make the motorbike parks smaller. I could put a small car in one of those motorbike parks,” Ms Timms SAID.
Businesses were equally frustrated as their customers had to park several blocks away.
“Our guests often have to park up near Munro Martin Park,” Bounce Hostel employee Fiona McAlister said.
“For us, we’d appreciate (adding extra carparks), I’m sure the guests would too.”
Acting Cairns Regional Council CEO Mark Wuth said the standard size for a centre parking bay was 2.6m wide and remarking car spaces on Grafton St was already earmarked on a future maintenance program.
“The configuration of the centre parking bays in this section … is a legacy of a street lighting upgrade in 2009 and the removal of coin-operated parking meters about six years ago,” he said.
“Council has always intended to repaint these parking bays to more customary sizes when this portion of Grafton St is resurfaced.
“When these works are undertaken, at a date yet to be determined, the bays will be remarked to conform to the standard sizes, where practical.”
Centre carparking spaces on Lake St, Abbott St, Aplin St and Spence St met the council’s standard minimum dimensions.
More Coverage
Originally published as Free car parks in Cairns almost 6m wide on Grafton St as Cairns Regional Council promises fix
Far North’s ‘voices’ to parliament reveal their efforts one year on
The Far North’s three elected parliamentarians reveal what efforts they’ve made in the space of Indigenous affairs, one year after the failed referendum.
How they voted: Cairns pre-polling unveils unexpected political issues
Pre-polling Far North residents appear to have already made up their minds as early voting centres opened their doors with surprising reasons driving voter decision making.