Paradise Island parking signs leave Gold Coast residents and drivers baffled

TWO hour parking or three? Local residents on Paradise Island are confused by council’s parking sign set up — saying the second sign was only added for the Commonwealth Games.

THESE confusing parking signs on Paradise Island have been removed.

A peculiar sign set-up with a three-hour area parking sign atop a two-hour sign, had been on the street since the Commonwealth Games.

Local resident Tim Ellis, who initially raised the issue of the duplicate signs with council one month ago, reached out to the Bulletin on Monday to voice his grievances.

He said around 9am Tuesday council workers were on site removing all the old two-hour parking signs.

A city spokesperson said the particular signs on Paradise Island were just one of a number being addressed and removed around the city.

The signs, before they were removed, prompted plenty of questions from residents.

“Well, which is it?”, Mr Ellis asked.

“The two-hour sign has always been there. We’ve been here for seven years — it was put there to stop people working in Surfers Paradise from parking all day and walking.

“The change came around the Commonwealth Games. There was a lot of different signage in the area, but all of a sudden they’ve put this three-hour parking sign there.

“It’s confusing to me. What is it? Two hours? Three hours? Or do we get five hours?,” he joked.

Which is the correct parking sign? Picture Mike Batterham

Mr Ellis said he raised the question with council last month, but is yet to received a reply.

“Occasionally, traffic inspectors do put tickets on people’s cars, but I don’t know if it’s for parking for more than two hours or three,” he said.

“Doesn’t matter to me or anybody who lives here whether it’s two or three hours — just take one of the signs away to clear it up.”

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Despite the confusion, RACQ said the grouping of signs is quite normal.

“It’s actually an area parking sign, so it applies everywhere that doesn’t have another sign,” spokesperson Renee Smith said.

Confusing parking signs on Paradise Island. Picture Mike Batterham

“If you park along the side of the road with the 2P sign it is two hours only.”

Division 7 councillor Gary Baildon said he had not seen the sign himself, but would advise officers to look this morning.

“If it needs to be dealt with, officers will do that (today),” he said.

Meanwhile, council held a parking workshop yesterday in which councillors and officers aired grievances over policies they feel are outdated or need to be reviewed.

“We looked at a myriad of things,” Mayor Tom Tate said. “But I think the next four weeks is going to be a very comprehensive review of car parking in the city.

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“The city has grown, being a very popular corner of southeast Queensland. As the city grows, it needs to be reviewed and that’s what we’re doing for the people of the Gold Coast.”