Redland council fails to rule out parking fees at congested Redland Bay ferry terminal

Paid parking is looming as an option at one of the state’s busiest ferry terminals after a council failed to refute claims about the possibility made in state parliament.

Island residents protest over the lack of a multistorey carpark and the lack of parking at the ferry terminal. Picture: Contributed

Some of the state’s poorest people are bracing for a major hit to their costs of living after a bayside council refused to guarantee it would keep parking free at a busy ferry terminal.

Redland City Council has refused to rule out charging people to park in a proposed multistorey car park, to be built at the terminal on prime waterfront real estate at Redland Bay.

State MP Kim Richards raised the issue in state parliament this week, accusing the council of creating a “disaster” within the Priority Development Area and unveiling the possibility of on-site paid-parking.

Ms Richards called on the council to “get on with the job” of overhauling the congested ferry terminal and to also commit to maintaining council ownership of any new car park and to rule out allowing private operators to impose parking fees.

Island residents say parking at the Redland Bay ferry terminal is at a premium already. Picture: Contributed

“It is an absolute disaster, being led by Redland City Council. I have never seen a project roll out so slowly,” she told state parliament.

“ … The LNP mayor for Redlands, Karen Williams, and the Redland City Council are the ones who are delaying.

“We need to make sure the car park remains council owned and operated to ensure we can get the best cost benefit to island community residents who live over there.

“Redland City Council has been pushing growth over on those islands for years now.

“That car park is critical for the 10,000 people who live across those four islands.”

Redland City Council failed to respond to questions about any plans to introduce parking fees at the ferry terminal before the time of publication.

Island residents have waged a war of words and a street protest over “a council backflip” which ruled out setting aside 400 car parks for islanders.

Island residents waged a protest at the ferry terminal earlier this year after news that the number of car parks to be built would be reduced. Picture: Contributed

Australian Bureau of Statistics data for 2021 showed 41 per cent of people aged over 15 living on the four islands fell into the “medium lowest” income quartile.

Our Parking Spots spokesperson Gayle Nemeth, who lives on Macleay Is, said both the state and the council were to blame and both had played a part in creating a “congested disaster zone”.

Last month, the state opened up a satellite hospital within 200m of the ferry terminal, which reduced parking for island residents.

Ms Nemeth said island residents were some of the poorest in the country and introducing parking fees at the terminal “would kill many”.

“The council has already broken a 2018 promise of providing 2000 car spaces designated for islanders in a multi-level car park of up to five -storeys and a further 400 free car spaces at the terminal,” she said.

“The plan now is pivoting to a shared parking model for all comers.

“The parking will be to accommodate the employees and customers of the supermarket, restaurants, cafes, and other facilities that the state government and council now propose for the area.

“Islanders will have to compete for parking and there will not be enough spaces.”

Redland City councillor Rowanne McKenzie took Ms Richards to task and said the state was shifting the cost of state infrastructure to the council.

Redland councillor Rowanne McKenzie said the state government also had form for introducing paid parking and toll roads. Picture: Facebook

“The Labor state government has partnered with private developers to deliver carparking at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital and Gold Coast University Hospitals and both then imposed fees to patients and hospital staff with no public revenue currently being received from these two carparks,” Cr McKenzie said.

“Carparks at Royal Brisbane and Women’s, the Prince Charles and PAH are all privately owned with fees imposed on patients and staff.

“Let’s not forget that there is also a privately-owned company that collects tolls off taxpayer funded state roads.”

Originally published as Redland council fails to rule out parking fees at congested Redland Bay ferry terminal