Councillor Liam Mooney open to block paid parking with ‘solution’

Councillor Liam Mooney could be the swing vote that determines whether Townsville City Council moves forward with the controversial parking meter expansion. Find out what could sway him to reconsider his stance.

Councillor Liam Mooney said he was open to reconsidering his vote to pause a paid parking rollout. But at the same time, there needed to be a genuine solution to replace the revenue, and Mr Mooney could not think what that could be. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Liam Mooney could be the one Townsville City councillor needed to tilt the balance of the majority vote and press pause on the city’s parking meter expansion, as he wrestles between the city’s finances with his father’s legacy.

Only one councillor is needed to change their mind and support blocking a parking meter expansion at the Strand, South Townsville, and the Pimlico medical precinct.

Mr Mooney indicates he might well be that councillor, as he was open to being convinced.

But he needed a solution to recover the $4m in annual parking fees that would be generated.

His position is at odds with his father, the ex-Mayor Tony Mooney who considered the Strand to be his defining legacy project that was built 25 years ago, believing its huge benefit to the community was worth “every cent of it”.

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

The then-Mayor Tony Mooney and radio identity Steve Price have a picnic before the official opening at The Strand 25 years ago.

But his own son’s argument was that there was no other feasible solution to resolve the council’s economic woes, except by cutting services and grant funding, or increasing rates even further than the average 5.1 per cent increase.

He was among six councillors continuing to support paid parking at the Strand, South Townsville and the Pimlico medical precinct in the new year.

“It hasn’t really been a discussion within the Mooney household, but perhaps, you know … Tony and myself are two heated personalities so this is one of the reasons why … I moved away from home,” Mr Mooney said.

Cars parked at the Strand this week. For now their owners would not have to pay for the parking. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“And whilst it’s great having his advice and experience there, we don’t see eye-to-eye about everything … and he definitely wasn’t in the room when we were being presented with the budget options.”

A previous motion to hold off on the parking meter installation in the new year until public consultation was completed was defeated six-five, with councillors Mooney, Greaney, Ellis, Robinson, Batkovic and Phillips supporting the meters.

But after a private meeting between councillors and businesspeople, Mayor Troy Thompson indicated he would bring another motion to stop the parking meter rollout to the council chamber again at next Wednesday’s council meeting.

Townsville City local Julie Fleming said parking costs would cause her to rethink visiting for her regular coffee. Picture: Shae Beplate.

This would be defeated unless one of the opposing councillors changed their mind.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say my mind has changed, and obviously I’m not going to give anything or any views and decisions that may or may not come,” Mr Mooney said.

“I believe there has to be some kind of solution to make up the projected money that was going to be brought in revenue from the paid parking, because ultimately we’re in a pickle and that’s what this is about.”

He refused to accept cutting grant funding or increasing rates as a solution.

“There’s been no solution yet and I don’t know if a negotiation is the right term, but I think, still, ultimately it comes back to a resolution of council,” he said.

“Anything can be changed but I think there needs to be proper discussion behind whatever happens here moving forward and has to be dealt with delicately and properly.”

Mr Mooney said solutions needed to be offered even if the motion proposed a four-month delay of the rollout.

Originally published as Councillor Liam Mooney open to block paid parking with ‘solution’