Gold Coast employees at Harbour Town Shopping Centre furious over new parking rules

HUNDREDS of staff at a leading Gold Coast shopping centre have been banned from parking at work during the festive season.

Traffic around Harbour Town for last year’s Boxing Day sales. Picture: Richard Gosling

HUNDREDS of staff at a leading Gold Coast shopping centre have been banned from parking at work during the festive season.

A week after nurse Joe Brooker was kidnapped and stabbed while walking to his car during a shift at Pindara Private Hospital, Habour Town Shopping Centre has told workers they must catch public buses or park their cars elsewhere or risk hefty fines.

The situation has become so bad staff have told the Bulletin they are considering wearing normal clothes to work before changing into their uniforms in the centre’s toilets to evade security.

Traffic around Harbour Town for last year’s Boxing Day sales. Picture: Richard Gosling

Harbour Town has more than 1000 staff at 190 stores and 34 eateries. The retail workers union is furious with the edict, saying parking for staff was a “fundamental” requirement in the industry.

The ruling means young employees will be forced on to public transport late at night. Since January, police have responded to 131 incidents at the Biggera Waters outlet centre, including assault, drug offences, theft and weapons act offences.

Restaurant worker Chantelle Martin said the centre was only allocating about 100 parking spots to employees over the holiday period.

“Management sent every store a map showing where staff can park … there are about 100 car parks in the west side area for us, where Bunnings was,” she said.

“Obviously that’s nowhere near enough considering there’s at least 20 people at my store and

Harbour Town traffic during last year’s festive season. Picture: Richard Gosling

Nike probably has 40 people. At the restaurant where I work we’re all young girls (between) 15 and 26. They are worried.

“The centre is building more stores, especially more premium stores, but their parking facilities just aren’t keeping up ... they really need to build a multi-level carpark.”

A Harbour Town spokesperson said there were no plans to update parking facilities.

As for safety concerns, the spokesperson said the centre had “security 24/7” but guards would not be escorting staff members to cars parked off site.

Harbour Town shopping crowds. Picture: Richard Gosling

They also said if a staff member was seen parking in the main carpark “they would be asked to move their car to the dedicated staff parking area”.

Pacific Fair and Robina Town Centre said they set aside three separate areas of the carpark for staff.

Josh Cullinan from the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union said “all workers should have access to safe car parking, at no cost, on site”.

“It’s already a difficult time of the year for (retail) workers that are paid very low wages.

“When workers make a choice to work in, or near, the CBD they understand there will be limited parking but in outer suburbs it should be something they have access to.

“Ideally, (security) should be escorting employees to their cars late at night if they have had to park off site.”

Danielle Ibanez, 24, and Sarah Weir, 24, excited about shopping at Harbour Town. Photo: Regi Varghese

Ms Martin said the centre’s security team was “hanging around” the carpark looking for staff.

“They left a note on my manager’s car (on Tuesday) saying that if she parked there again she would be towed and it costs $450 to get it back,” she said.

“Retail staff can get away with it a bit more because they’re in plain clothes. I’m in a uniform. It’s got to the point where I’m considering going in wearing normal clothes and changing in the public toilets.”

Area councillor Kristyn Boulton said “overflow” of cars at Harbour Town had been an issue for a long time.

“It happens every year,” she said. “I would encourage people to find other modes of transportation.”