Fury over reduced funding for cheaper parking on Glitter Strip

RATEPAYERS have been left furious after council budget papers revealed there would be little relief from high parking fees across the Gold Coast this coming year. This is why.

RATEPAYERS and business leaders are furious after discovering the Gold Coast City Council in its budget reduced funding for improving the city’s cheaper public parking facilities.

The latest Budget papers reveal $551,395 will be spent on capital works for “parking facilities and regulation” in 2018-19. This compares to more than $3 million for the previous year.

The total “parking” spend for 2018-19 which includes operating costs covering regulation is just more than $14 million, down from $15.6 million in 2017-18.

The percentage drop is 6.8 per cent, to 5.7 per cent of the total city transport budget.

The Bruce Bishop Car Park in Surfers Paradise. Picture: Jerad Williams

A breakdown of the city transport spend shows the council in the next 12 months will focus more on improving the road network, with funding for that up by about $19 million.

But the move has been criticised by the Save Surfers Paradise group and Gold Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association.

Save Surfers Paradise secretary Deborah Kelly told the Bulletin: “It’s hard to understand why the council would be reducing the amount spent on parking facilities in the recently adopted budget.

IS THIS COAST’S WORST STREET TO PARK ON?

“One of the most pressing problems facing residents and ratepayers is the escalating traffic congestion on roads and streets throughout the city. The council seems oblivious to the importance of parking in the overall traffic and congestion management mix.”

Save Surfers Paradise secretary Deborah Kelly cannot understand council’s budget cuts for parking facilities.

Ms Kelly said the council’s decision to cut back on parking was a backward step because it would add significantly to traffic congestion as more cars crawled through the streets looking for spare parks.

THE PUB WHERE YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR PARKING

“Surfers Paradise provides a good example. There are 1260 cars park on average every day at the Bruce Bishop car park. During school holiday periods, it can be two or three times that number of cars,” she said.

A rally to save Bruce Bishop Car Park in Surfers Paradise. Picture Glenn Hampson

“Close that car park and thousands of extra cars will be circulating streets of Surfers Paradise looking for somewhere to park. The private car parks can’t accommodate them, there isn’t room, and the cost would be prohibitive for most people anyway.

“That creates a lot of extra pressure on suburban streets in nearby residential areas, as people park in those areas and walk back to the centre of Surfers and the beach. Broadbeach has the same problem and it’s only going to get worse.”

Ms Kelly feared many residents would stay away from Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise.

“With the number of rolling business closures we are currently seeing in both precincts, that should be ringing very loud alarm bells at council,” she said.

Gold Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association leader Tom Bleier supports council investing in facilities like the Bruce Bishop Car Park. Pic Tim Marsden.

The budget papers show the council will spend $400,000 on renewal works at Bruce Bishop car park in 2018-19, which compares to $2.1 million the previous year.

A city spokesperson said the reduced amounts were due to “changes in repair methodology and competitive market rates for repair works”.

The council spokesperson rejected suggestions less work was being done on repairing the car park because it had to be sold.

“Rectification works on the basement levels of the Bruce Bishop car park are currently being programmed to be completed by September,” the spokesperson said.

Gold Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association president Tom Bleier said he supported the campaign by Save Surfers Paradise to stop the council selling the Bruce Bishop car park.

Mr Bleier said the council should acknowledge most Coast residents had to use their car to travel to work.

Surfers Paradise was the driver of the city’s economy and needed to have public carparking available at reasonable rates, he said.

“The council is forcing companies to leave Surfers Paradise because their staff can’t park there cheaply. If we get the same parking rates as we do in Brisbane, people won’t go there.,” Mr Bleier said.

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The ratepayer group believes improving public parking should be the core business of the council.

“The council is trying to run facilities down. I have members in Surfers Paradise who were there when they were building the light rail,” Mr Bleier said.

“The Cavill Mall renovations were at the same time. These guys hardly made it through. Now the council is trying to get rid of 42 per cent of the parking.”