Cairns Esplanade outdoor dining traffic ban debate ends in council confusion
Bureaucratic acrobats in town hall have fallen flat on their face after failing to land a spectacular Esplanade traffic ban backflip.
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UPDATE: Bureaucratic acrobats in town hall have fallen flat on their face after failing to land a spectacular Esplanade traffic ban backflip.
The deal was done a fortnight ago after two nauseating Cairns Regional Council meetings finally arrived at a split decision.
Traffic was to be banned from the Esplanade between Shields and Aplin streets at all times, except for commercial vehicles which would be limited to 10km/h.
The decision did not sit well with Division 5 councillor Amy Eden who conducted a private survey of dining precinct traders and set an attempted mutiny in motion.
She convinced Division 2 councillor Rob Pyne to reverse on his original vote and sign a repeal notice that would swing the numbers in her favour.
They would then re-vote for her failed motion from the last meeting – to allow all vehicles at 10km/h but completely shut the road to traffic from 11am-11pm.
Cr Eden and Cr Pyne’s signatures were right alongside those of fellow councillors Terry James, Max O’Halloran, Brett Olds and Cathy Zeiger.
It was signed, sealed and delivered with a clear majority of six councillors for and only four against.
It still did not go as planned.
The room, assured of Cr Eden’s numbers nonetheless launched into a debate about the merits and drawbacks of second-guessing council decisions.
Cr Rhonda Coghlan said she was reminded of children who came “back and back and back and back” with the same requests until a parent folded.
“I’m not sure about my fellow councillors but I was taught to respect the decisions of the room,” she said.
Cr Brett Moller said the proposal was bad governance and questioned whether the opposing view was given equal weight in Cr Eden’s survey.
“It’s not correct to say that Cr Eden is doing her due diligence after a decision is made,” he said.
However, Cr Eden said it was her duty as a councillor to get the best outcome for constituents – and traders had overwhelmingly supported the total 11am-11pm traffic shutdown.
“Just in this last week I’ve been speaking with the traders along the Esplanade outdoor dining precinct area and the evidence is clear, so much so that they’ve signed a document accordingly,” she said.
Cr Olds said councillors a workshop promised after the first failed debate never eventuated.
“That’s why it looks like a bloody mess and we look like a circus,” he said.
Cr Pyne kept silent throughout the whole debate, only to perform another backflip when it came down to the wire.
He voted against the repeal notice that he had signed just days before, making it a five-five split once again with Mayor Bob Manning getting the deciding vote.
A surprised Cr Manning squashed the insurrection then and there.
The entire debate could have been avoided if Cr Pyne had piped up but he did not make a peep.
After the meeting, he said he had come under a lot of pressure over the previous three days.
“I was contacted by a lot of people, particularly people with disabilities, the elderly and … a wheelchair taxi driver,” he said.
“They were concerned they wouldn’t be able to get in there.
“The only way would be to park on the other side and come through the Night Markets.
“That’s what weighed on my decision.”
In the end, nothing changed.
The Esplanade will be shut to all traffic except commercial vehicles – delivery drivers, taxis, tradies and the like – which is limited to 10km/h at all times of the day.
The mayor was aware how unprofessional the shambling situation looked.
“I would suggest now that councillors move on, everybody move on, and repair the damage that we’ve done to ourselves and that we get on with this,” he said.
EARLIER: A three-ring circus is playing out at city hall with an Esplanade traffic ban set to be repealed and brought back for its third debate in as many meetings.
Indecision over the what to do about vehicles along the new-look outdoor dining precinct is about to poke its head through the chamber doors again on Wednesday.
Cairns Regional Council voted a fortnight ago to impose a 10km/h speed limit and only allow commercial vehicles to drive between Shields and Aplin streets.
All non-commercial cars would be blocked from the relatively short strip of road but delivery drivers and other commercial operators could access it, at a snail’s pace, at any time.
Arrival at that decision was a hard slog in itself.
Multiple alternative motions were voted down, and the matter was only on the agenda because debate got too messy at the previous meeting and had to be pushed back.
Third time’s a charm.
Division 5 councillor Amy Eden appears to have convinced her Division 2 counterpart Rob Pyne to change his mind on the matter.
The pair have joined with Deputy Mayor Terry James and councillors Cathy Zeiger, Max O’Halloran and Cathy Zeiger to sign a document flagging their intention to repeal the previous decision.
The new resolution – which must be debated again – is in line with what Cr Eden originally proposed after consultation with traders along the glitter strip.
“That council implements a 10km/h shared zone for all vehicles with a daily (seven-day) closure from 11am to 11pm to restrict traffic movements during high pedestrian and dining periods on a trial period of three months, effective December 15,” it reads.
They now have the numbers to trump Mayor Bob Manning’s casting vote which he used to break a deadlock last time around.
In essence, all cars will be allowed on the road except between 11am-11pm.
During those peak dining hours, not even delivery drivers will be given access.
If the backflip goes ahead – and it should, given the six-signatory majority on the repeal notice – the council will likely opt to use automatic bollards that mechanically rise from the road when the clock strikes 11am.
The infrastructure for their installation was already embedded in the road as part of the recent $28m dining precinct upgrade.
Such a decision would not be in line with the recommendations of council officers.
Some councillors including the mayor are loath to deviate from the official advice, especially when potential liability issues and public safety are in question.
FAQs
Is the whole Cairns Esplanade closing to traffic?
No. Only the new-look outdoor dining precinct stretch from Shields St to Aplin St is proposed for partial closure.
What is the new speed limit on the Cairns Esplanade going to be?
Regardless of what decision the council comes to, the new speed limit between Shields and Aplin streets will be 10km/h.
How much did the Cairns Esplanade outdoor dining precinct upgrade cost?
It cost ratepayers $28m with some of the funding quietly ripped from the budget to build a new Edmonton Pool and to roll out smart water meters at homes across the city. Both of those projects have now been put on the backburner.
Who is the Cairns CBD councillor?
Amy Eden is Cairns Regional Council’s representative in Division 5.
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