LOOK OUT: Full-time parking inspector coming soon

The fines are unpopular, but it’s good for business says council

Clarence Valley Council are about to employ a full time parking inspector

IT MAY be bad news for your favourite sneaky parking spot, but a full-time parking officer will be good news for local business coming into the busy holiday season according to Clarence Valley Council.

Council is seeking a new permanent parking officer as part of a move to increase its permanent ranger numbers and the new recruit will be put to work across Grafton, Maclean, Yamba and other outlying areas.

>>> RELATED: Do you want to be council’s next parking officer?

“We’ve had rangers doing some parking work … as well as some casual parking officers who have come and gone,” environment, planning and community director Des Schroder said.

“Council at a meeting in March endorsed this … and with population growth and tourist growth it’s about meeting the demands.”

There will be three additional full-time rangers, including the permanent parking officer added to the staff.

Mr Schroder said the parking role would be multi-function, with an eye over the holiday season to crack down on illegal camping at beachside zones.

“We do early parking runs through Yamba, because there are areas we’ve banned parking between midnight and 5am,” he said.

Mr Schroder said while it may be unpopular that the parking officers would be enforcing the letter of the law, it was an important part of supporting local businesses.

“A good parking officer enables us to support the businesses, whether it’s having places to park in holiday time … or in Grafton about keeping people moving through,” he said.

“The people getting fined mightn’t think that … but we’ve had a lot of request from local business.”

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