Gold Coast City Council plans to increase parking fees across the city

GOLD Coast City Council is considering hiking parking prices in a substantial move that will leave many looking to leave their cars at home. Here’s the suburbs on the hit list.

The Gold Coast City Council is looking to increase parking fines across the city

THE Gold Coast City Council is considering hiking parking prices after the Commonwealth Games to force more drivers on to public transport.

If approved, the cost of parking would likely exceed the $6.40 return one-zone trip on the tram to deter motorists from entering the inner city.

The Southport area is expected to be heavily affected with parking demand in the city’s CBD at 90 per cent capacity.

The plan has outraged resident groups and Southport councillor Dawn Crichlow, who said parking fees in her electorate would not increase “while she was around”.

Public parking is available in Southport for $6 a day or $2.60 an hour for street parking, $3.70 an hour for street parking in Surfers Paradise or $9 a day for early bird parking in Bruce Bishop Car Park, $2.90-3.60 an hour in Broadbeach and $1.50-2.50 an hour for street parking or $5 a day at Alex Black Car Park in Burleigh Heads.

You’ll likely be seeing more of these around with parking fees being hiked up

A one-zone trip on the light rail using a Go Card costs $3.20 each way and a paper ticket is $4.60 each way.

A two-zone journey is $3.90 (Go Card) and $5.70 (paper ticket) each way.

The council’s planning committee chairman, Cameron Caldwell said the parking review would not take place until after the opening of Stage 2 of the light rail and Commonwealth Games, when the city had returned to “business as usual”.

Cr Caldwell said the busier areas such as Southport, Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and Burleigh would be the first targeted in the review.

“If the incentive is there for people to catch public transport ahead of driving their vehicle then they are more likely to do so,” Cr Caldwell said.

“In time we will assess costs of parking to make sure that it marries in with the use of the light rail.”

Scott Davey and Malodi McIver from Labrador pay for parking at the Cypress paid parking area in Surfers Paradise. Picture: Jerad Williams

Paid parking was introduced in Broadbeach and Burleigh last year and the council this month started nine additional two and three-hour timed parking zones across the city.

The council receives about $6.3 million in parking fees and about $14.5 million in parking fines each year.

In the 2011-2012 financial years the council received about $9.5 million in parking fines.

An army of almost 30 parking officers enforce the parking laws across the city.

Cr Caldwell said the citywide parking review would use data gathered from parking meters, electronic pads in parking bays and fines to determine where changes were needed.

“The demand responsive pricing policy, gives us flexibility to increase or decrease parking rates that may apply in a centre during times of demand,” he said.

Hopefully the Meter Maids will come to the rescue and top up the parking meters.

“If there is low demand the price would be low but if there is high demand the price would be high.”

Cr Caldwell said it was expected the 1500 car space park and ride at Parwkood as part of Stage 2 of the light rail would change how people use the tram.

Gold Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association president Tom Blier was outraged by the plan.

“It’s a gouge to get more money out of people,” he said.

“Our public transport doesn’t meet all the requirements that people have.”

Mr Blier said the light rail would only meet a small portion of residents needs meaning those not on the rail line would be facing the struggle with higher public transport fees.

“We are a small town with inadequate public transport,” he said.

Mr Blier said Surfers Paradise was already experiencing parking difficulties and it would worsen with the sale of the Bruce Bishop Car Park.

Southport Chamber of Commerce president Laird Marshall was cautious about the plan.

“I think something should be trialled and not set in stone,” he said.

Mr Marshall said if the trial found it did not increase the number of people taking public transport, the fees should return back to the original level.

“Most people who drive a car to work don’t have easy access to public transport,” he said.

Mr Marshall said public transport access also needed to improve.