Pensioner confirms she will avoid The Strand parking
Business owners along The Strand say they were blindsided by the council’s decision to introduce paid parking, while pensioners say they’ll be forced to go elsewhere as the cost of living crisis worsens.
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A Bohle Plains pensioner said she would no longer attend aqua aerobics classes at Tobruk Memorial Baths when the council began charging for parking at The Strand.
Julie Core said she would attend the Riverway Lagoons instead to avoid the $2 an hour parking fee when meters were rolled out early next year.
The pensioner attended her classes three times a week and had developed friendships in a close-knit group of a dozen.
She often spent more than two hours socialising on each occasion, which would mean that she would be charged a minimum of $48 each money on parking fees if she continued travelling to The Strand.
Ms Core was critical of the council’s decision to increase its parking meters across the city in the new year, which also includes Gregory St, Palmer St, and at the Fulham Rd medical precinct in Pimlico.
The council would enforce parking fees at Strand, Gregory and Palmer Sts seven days a week, from 9am to 5pm, while parking fees would be enforced on Fulham Rd and the central business district five days a week.
The pool manager and the adjoining cafe owner were angered at the decision and at having no consultation from the council before it decided to announce the parking meters when approving the annual budget.
Tobruk Kiosk owner Kelly Behrens said the decision would reduce foot traffic and cafe patrons who would go elsewhere, including joggers, families, and dog owners.
She said this then impacted her own small business, which already had to manage rising costs since the pandemic.
Ms Behrens was uncertain how to balance that burden further to better manage her business, but was reluctant to pass that on further to customers.
“There was nothing sent out to me, I didn’t receive anything to say this was even thought about.
“It’s going to come unstuck for us.
“I think Townsville can do better, I think council can do better.”
Pool manager Lynda Senent said parking meters would discourage families from exercising because of a cost involved, while it was also affecting those who wanted to teach their children to swim.
“So that is the biggest point that I feel that here we are in Australia promoting fitness, and now with paid parking it’s going to disadvantage those who are already struggling with money to have to have that added expense,” she said.
“Talking to the Aqua ladies, they come to aqua three times a week, they’re probably all retired and pensioners, to have their aqua plus their social mental health coffee afterwards, that is $4 extra (each time), $12 extra a week.
“That’s going to be too much for them.”
While there was concern for charging fees in Pimlico, most of the community’s concerns were directed at The Strand, with former mayor Tony Mooney AND radio presenter Steve ‘Pricey’ Price, who both opened the public space 25 years ago, critical of the council’s budget measure.
Although it was a Townsville City Council decision, the concerns have influenced the campaign of Thuringowa independent Natasha Lane, who created a Change. Org petition protesting the decision, as well as Townsville LNP candidate Adam Baillie.
Mr Baillie invited The Townsville Bulletin to join him at the Tobruk Kiosk as he spoke with pensioners who aired their concerns about how parking changes would affect their lifestyle.
While the state candidate conceded it was a local government issue he said it was important to be consulting about issues the community
North Ward pensioner Alana Hall said she moved from Tasmania three years ago, and that she loved the Townsville lifestyle, of which The Strand was a big part.
She would not stop visiting The Strand but would be walking minutes each time to do it.
“I understand they’re probably wanting to increase the revenue to do the gardening and the lawn mowing and looking after, but I think we’ve got to find that money elsewhere.
“Times are tough and families are only going to hurt from putting these meters in.”
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