Plan for Bruns to have paid parking up for debate again
A PUSH to expedite a decision on paid parking in Brunswick Heads will go before the council at this week’s meeting.
Byron Shire
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A PUSH to expedite a decision on paid parking in Brunswick Heads will go before Byron Shire Council on Thursday.
The council voted in June to hold off on a decision until after June 2021, but the rescission motion will seek to bring that forward to October.
Kim Rosen, of the No Paid Parking for Brunswick Heads group, said business were upset the issue was being pressed.
She said an estimated 220 jobs had been lost in Brunswick Heads during the pandemic while 66 per cent of the town’s businesses are relying on JobKeeper payments.
She believes the parking difficulties that arise in Brunswick Heads in busy periods “can be managed by well-managed timed parking”, rather than paid meters.
Happy Dolphin cafe owner Gary Deller said business had taken a serious hit during the pandemic, not assisted by the current Queensland border restrictions.
The town’s exclusion from the “border bubble” means no Queenslanders can visit without facing a two week quarantine when they return home.
“Any chance of Gold Coast or Brisbane people coming down … was just wiped out in a day,” Sam Pedlow, of North Coast Lifestyle Properties, said.
The group wants to see consideration of paid parking held off for five years.
Byron mayor Simon Richardson reiterated the proposed metered parking would only apply on weekends and holiday periods.
Under the rescission motion, he’s not seeking to begin operating meters until parking occupancy reaches 80 per cent, likely not before the summer holidays.
“The people who are saying ‘not now’ are saying ‘not ever’ … and using COVID as a further reason to an overall ‘no’ case,” Cr Richardson said.
“This is what we’re looking to do to have more efficient parking at times of higher demand.
“There’s no interest by us to put it in if it’s not going to be effective or required.
“I’m intent on bringing a Notice of Motion shortly, which commits 100 per cent of Brunswick Heads’ paid parking (revenue) to stay in Brunswick Heads, and the same in Byron.”
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