Burleigh: Mayor Tom Tate blasts residents abusing parking staff over scrapped meter changes
Parking inspectors face mounting verbal attacks despite council's decision to scrap controversial restrictions, as the mayor warns angry residents to back off and “pull your head in”.
Mayor Tom Tate has called for irate Burleigh Heads residents to “pull your head in” and stop abusing council’s parking staff.
Council says its parking inspectors have copped increased verbal attacks from the public since city leaders voted on Monday to abandon controversial extended hours.
While the council has scrapped the 7am to 7pm metered parking restrictions, the changes will not come into effect for up to three months.
Mr Tate said there was “no place” for abuse in the community when staff were just doing their jobs.
“Council has made its decision and that decision stands, but our officers have nothing to do with that so don’t be rude,” he said.
“I say to those people who are abusing our officers, they are only doing their job, right?
“Just imagine that it is you, that they are your sons or daughters out there doing it and how would you like it if they were being abused for doing their job.
“Pull your head in and be sane about it.”
Mr Tate insisted council staff would continue to enforce the law as it stood until the changes came into effect.
“That’s just normal and I say to everyone, the signage is legal and remains so until the change occurs and that change will happen,” he said.
A majority of councillors voted on Monday to overturn the extended hours, which came into play in July, after a community backlash.
The decision was estimated to cost the council around $2m in potential future revenue.
However, the changes will not come into effect until a later date, expected to be up to three months away.
Burleigh MP Hermann Vorster, who led the campaign against the changes, on Tuesday called for council to not fine people before 9am.
“My message to the council is simple – don’t send your parking inspectors out before 9am,” he said.
On Monday Deputy Mayor Mark Hammel backed an extension of the changes until April 2026 to allow for a review.
However councillors voted 8-7 in favour of no metered parking charges being applied before 9am.
Opposed were Mayor Tom Tate, Mr Hammel, Peter Young, Shelley Curtis and Glenn Tozer.
Council CEO Tim Baker said the signage would not be replaced until early in 2026, with the existing metered hours remaining in place.
Data sought by area councillor Josh Martin revealed the City, by introducing extra parking hours in July, had hoped to achieve an increase of revenue at 17.9 per cent.
But figures showed the increase was 27.6 per cent.
The City, when including all other parking, was $295,000 ahead in budget.
For the July to September quarter, Burleigh had produced $59,000 in parking revenue, separate from any income received by fines.
A Bulletin investigation earlier this year found the amount of revenue council had clawed in through increased parking fees had increased 61 per cent since the 2018-9 financial year from $10m to an expected $16.6m in 2025-26.
‘Don't do that’: Council's warning on Burleigh Heads parking signs
Over-enthusiastic Burleigh residents have been warned they will still cop fines for ignoring council’s now-dumped extended parking hours.
Vigilante locals have been putting stickers over the top of the council’s signage, less than a day after city leaders’ shock move to overturn the controversial 7am start time for paid parking
A majority of councillors voted on Monday to overturn the charges, which came into place in July, after a community backlash.
The decision will cost the council around $2m in lost revenue.
However the changes will not come into effect until a later date, with the change expected to take around three months.
Council economic committee chairman Cr Bob La Castra issued a simple warning: “Don’t do that”.
“The signage which is there will remain in place until those changes come into force so you need to make sure you cover yourself,” he said.
“If it says 7am-7pm right now then it’s still 7am-7pm and if you don’t, put that money in the parking meter or you’re going to get fined.
“In the end this was a close council decision but the majority felt it was a good idea to pull it back and it was just to say ‘OK, we hear you, we’re listening to the people’.”
The council increased parking fees by 20 per cent on July 1 and also brought the start of metered parking in beachside suburbs including Burleigh, forward from 9am to 7am.
Deputy Mayor Mark Hammel on Monday backed an extension of the changes until April 2026 to allow for a review.
However councillors voted 8-7 in favour of no metered parking charges being applied before 9am.
Opposed were Mayor Tom Tate, Mr Hammel, Peter Young, Shelley Curtis and Glenn Tozer.
Council CEO Tim Baker said the signage would not be replaced until early in 2026, with the existing metered hours remaining in place.
Data sought by area councillor Josh Martin revealed the City, by introducing extra parking hours in July, had hoped to achieve an increase of revenue at 17.9 per cent.
But figures showed the increase was 27.6 per cent.
The City, when including all other parking, was $295,000 ahead in budget.
For the July to September quarter, Burleigh had produced $59,000 in parking revenue, separate from any income received by fines.
Burleigh MP Hermann Vorster, who led the campaign against what he dubbed a “lifestyle tax”, welcomed the council’s vote.
He dubbed it a “win for people power”.
“It shows that people power can still prevail because we launched a petition which attracted more than 1000 signatures and within a handful of months we accomplished the reversal of the charges,” he said.
“It shows the power of a petition is a safeguard against public decision-making and the importance of protecting the rights of residents.
“I am ecstatic about the outcome because it shows the community can prevail but also what it means for businesses, including one I spoke to who said these changes had cost them $10,000 in lost revenue every month.”
Mr Vorster urged council to not fine people before 9am.
“My message to the council is simple – don’t send your parking inspectors out before 9am,” he said.
A Bulletin investigation earlier this year found the amount of revenue council has clawed in through increased parking fees has increased 61 per cent since the 2018-9 financial year from $10m to an expected $16.6m in 2025-26.
Explained: Titans secure deal for new high performance HQ
