Parking woes slow business

Councillor calls for action to keep city centre vibrant

FAILURE to act on commuter parking clogging residential Hobart streets will harm city businesses and their employees, a Hobart councillor says.

The comments from Alderman Simon Behrakis follow revelations from South Hobart Progress Association president Philip Hoystead that residents and commuters were reportedly verbally “brawling” over competition for parking in South Hobart.

Residents in North Hobart, without off-street parking, have also said they sometimes parked blocks away from their property amid competition for parking spots.

Mr Behrakis echoed comments from Tasmanian Small Business Council chief Robert Mallett that Hobart businesses were suffering from greater Hobart’s parking squeeze.

“The lack of parking is becoming more of an issue. It’s a problem impacting on the amenity of residents, and making it more difficult for commuters to travel to Hobart to work or shop,” he said.

“This is leading to numerous reports of people wanting to avoid going into the city and instead taking their business to other municipalities.”

He said failure to act on parking problems would “directly harm local businesses and their employees”, adding his fellow aldermen needed to step up.

“It’s high time councillors set aside their ideology and address the problem that is staring them in the face,” he said.

In response, Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds suggested Mr

Behrakis could make a submission to the council’s parking department for his ideas to be considered.

“He hasn’t outlined an actual proposal but I presume he is preparing some data or talking with the relevant council staff on options,” she said.

Ms Reynolds said all three levels of government had made commitments to Hobart transport targets. Transport Minister Michael Ferguson said the state government had committed $16m to improve traffic flow on Macquarie and Davey streets, including bus priority measures.

“Construction of a fifth lane on the Southern Outlet will connect to bus priority lanes in the city,” he said. “Other measures to boost public transport patronage includes $1.2m to examine bus prioritisation measures from Glenorchy to the Hobart CBD.”