Posties win parking battle against cafe patrons

Escalating tensions between cafe patrons and posties had led to a “serious safety issue” in this village’s main street.

Ballina Shire Council has voted to make changes to parking in Lennox Head's main street to help posties with deliveries.

Parking changes have been made in Lennox Head's main street in an effort to address a "serious safety concern" near the post office.

Late last year Ballina Shire Council's traffic committee heard concerns from the village's postmaster, who wrote a letter complaining that a cafe patron had been repeatedly parking in the main zone area and obstructing deliveries.

>>> Posties vs cafe patron: Parking squabble now a serious safety concern

The postmaster made an "urgent request" for the parking zone to be changed to a loading zone, saying that a woman had been taking advantage of the quarter-hour parking to "make a point of parking there and going to a cafe".

The woman had been asked to move on, but refused and threatened to contact police.

Tensions escalated over time and, in one incident, there was a confrontation which led to the woman jumping out in front of a passing police car.

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At the December traffic committee meeting, Ballina Shire Council voted to change the parking restrictions from a quarter-hour parking zone to a loading zone.

Two parking spaces immediately north of the proposed loading zone in Ballina Street will be changed to quarter-hour parking.