Fears for safety of kids as parents and teachers fail to find space in Broadbeach parking war
TEACHERS at the Broadbeach Kindergarten who cannot leave the classrooms during the day risk being fined after council announced new parking limits.
Council
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COUNCILLORS voting today on new regulated parking zones throughout the Gold Coast will be asked to provide concessions to teachers who cannot get to their cars.
A planned Central Traffic Area from Surfers Paradise to Broadbeach will limit parking for three hours between 9am-5pm on week days in signed areas.
Teachers at the Broadbeach Kindergarten who cannot leave the classrooms risk being fined and their managers are approaching council to obtain special parking rights.
Area councillor Paul Taylor agreed to five “drop off and pick up” zones in the car park adjacent to the kindergarten, but the spaces have been grabbed by tradies arriving to work on major construction sites.
Administrator Danielle Sorensen, speaking on behalf of the kindergarten’s committee, told the Bulletin: “With no time restrictions locals and tradespeople already parking in the car park will continue to do so all day and all night.
“Council argue that staff can park there but if it is full at 8am staff will be forced to park on the street and will have to move cars, jeopardising the safety of the children and breaching the educator-student ratios as per national regulations.
“We have informed council we are not a childcare centre with floating staff to cover lunch breaks.”
The kindergarten requested council introduce three designated parks for its teachers in the car park or provide them with special permits to park on the street.
Ms Sorensen said council had responded by agreeing to put up a sign warning the car park was for the kindergarten and neighbouring croquet club, but admitted it could not police it.
In a submission to council the committee had warned that the kindergarten was located near a “blind hill and traffic is extremely busy and quick”.
Cr Taylor said yesterday he had responded by providing a designated drop-off zone in the car park and unlimited parking at nearby soccer fields.
“We have not got it for staff car parking. I know it’s hard. If we start allocating car parks there will be no places left,” he said.
“If they get there early they can park there (at the soccer fields). The tradies, they won’t be there forever. Hopefully it improves over time.”
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