Former Townsville Mayor Tony Mooney steps forward to protest Strand parking policy

Townsville’s former long-running mayor Tony Mooney has stepped back into the public eye, rallying to protect one of his most cherished legacies – The Strand. See what he had to say about the latest controversial parking fee proposal.

Tony Mooney on the Strand pier when he was the mayor of Townsville and shortly after the restoration which changed the shape of the public space. The photograph was taken in October, 1999. Picture: Evan Morgan

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A former long-running Townsville mayor believes it was “an error” of councillors to approve the rollout of parking meters at The Strand without checking with the community first.

Tony Mooney backs a councillor’s push to revisit the issue in the next council meeting and said keeping the area accessible to everyone was worth the annual $6m cost.

“It’s worth every cent of it,” Mr Mooney said.

“It’s just so important, how do you put a place of value on that upkeep?

“It’s too important to even be discussed in this context.

The then Mayor Tony Mooney and long-term radio identity Steve ‘Pricey’ Price are photographed on September 13th counting down the number of sleeps before the official opening of the Strand.

“The point of being The Strand is it should be publicly accessible to the whole community, young and old, regardless of the cohort.

“And I haven’t seen any credible argument as to why we need to regulate parking in that area.”

He said people did not care about circulating traffic flow and increasing parking availability either and would be prepared to walk fifteen minutes if they need to during busy events.

The Strand is opened to the public early, with Mike Reynolds and Tony Mooney. Picture: Fiona Harding.

While the council believed it cost a lot of money to maintain these assets, they also benefited from the rates of properties in the area.

“There’s been massive increases in property valuations in North Ward and especially along The Strand, and those valuation increases have all helped fill the coffers of the council, and they should be taking that into account,” he said.

Mr Mooney said it was a “very smart move” for councillor Kurt Rehbein to announce he would put forward a motion against the parking issue, and to discourage the rollout, within the next ordinary council meeting, following the strong business community reaction.

Councillor Kurt Rehbein is critical of the council's budget measures to rollout parking meters at the Strand. Picture: Shae Beplate.

He said the council had the ability to change policies outlined in the budget even though it already had been adopted.

Mr Mooney’s son Liam is also a councillor within the chamber, who, along with Cr Rehbein, voted in support of the annual budget, which contained the parking rollout policy.

But the former mayor said while he was open to giving advice, his son had his own political identity and “doesn’t really need me to be looking over his shoulder”.

Townsville City Councillor Liam Mooney attends a recent meeting. Picture: Evan Morgan

Mr Mooney led the council for almost 20 years until 2008 and was instrumental in developing the popular community space along the North Ward coastline following heavy monsoon storm damage from Tropical Cyclone Sid in 1998.

At the time, the ocean was not visible from the road because it was blocked by a rock wall, and there was no walkway or Strand Park.

“We were left the decision to rebuild what was there, which was ugly, unappealing, and didn’t really provide a sense of pride for people locally or to come up with something difficult,” Mr Mooney said.

Mayor Tony Mooney inspects roads and other damage caused in Townsville by flooding and rainfall from cyclone Sid in January 1998. Picture Nathan Richter

“One of my council staff at the time, an engineer, came to me and said, ‘I think we can do better, and I think we can transform this area’.

“What we came up with was a plan that cost $20-$30m by the time we built it.”

Mr Mooney said The Strand in the form known today was completed within a year and jointly funded by the council and the Queensland Government under Premier Peter Beattie.

Townsville Mayor Tony Mooney caught photographed in the moment laughing at a comment by Premier Peter Beattie during an interview in April, 1999. Plans of The Strand project are showcased behind them. Picture: Cameron Laird.

The area is a legacy Mr Mooney frequently shares with his grandchildren.

“It had an immediate sense of place and immediate feel that locals felt comfortable being there,” he said.

“It just feels right; it feels as if it’s still relevant for local people; it feels right and comfortable and a good place to visit.”

Former mayor Tony Mooney, who now currently serves in corporate roles such as the chairman of the Townsville Hospital and Health board.

In last week’s budget meeting, Paul Jacob, in his acting mayor capacity, announced the council would increase parking fees for the first time in 14 years by $1 an hour while introducing paid parking to The Strand, Gregory St, Palmer St, and the Fulham Rd medical precinct.

Mr Jacob said this was to balance the needs of businesses, residents and workers while offsetting the cost of maintenance of assets such as The Strand, which he said cost ratepayers more than $6m each year to maintain.

Division 3 councillor Ann-Maree Greaney said new paid parking at The Strand, Gregory St, Palmer St, and at the Fulham Rd medical precinct will operate from next year, between the hours of 9am to 5pm.

“Paid parking in these locations will improve the turnover of parking bays and increase visitor numbers, aiming to balance the needs of businesses, residents, and workers while providing a sustainable approach to offsetting the cost of maintaining key community assets such as The Strand,” she said.

“Residents and businesses at these locations will receive further information prior to parking initiatives being introduced.”

Originally published as Former Townsville Mayor Tony Mooney steps forward to protest Strand parking policy