Parking permits outcry
Residents claim no dialogue about two-hour limit
RESIDENTS across three northern Gold Coast suburbs are protesting as council plans to introduce two-hour parking permits in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games.
Labor Bonney candidate Rowan Holzberger yesterday staged a public meeting where more than 50 residents from Southport, Labrador and Parkwood vented about the lack of consultation by the council.
The changes to be introduced before the Games in April next year meant residents would be unable to park for more than two hours and need to obtain a traffic permit, Mr Holzberger said.
“I have already spoken to over a hundred residents within the proposed parking zone who want to have further consultation with council before any final decisions are made,” Mr Holzberger told the Bulletin.
“Due to the overwhelming community response I have received on this, today we have launched a petition asking council to make contact with residents and consider the accessibility needs of all residents before putting in twohour restrictions.”
Labrador resident Rolf Westin said he only became aware of the parking changes after being contacted by Mr Holzberger.
“There has been nothing (from council). The first I heard of it was when Rowan rang me. I was dumbfounded about having to have a permit.”
Mr Westin and other residents at a meeting at Chris Yeomans Park yesterday voiced concerns about the new permit system impacting on their property values.
The meeting was told the council’s consultation was limited to two newspaper advertisements and a post on social media.
Independent Bonney candidate Ron Nightingale told the meeting: “There was no consultation on this. There was no sense to it.
“Why have we been hit? Why have we been inconvenienced all of a sudden?”
Area councillor Kristyn Boulton told the Bulletin the new parking regulations would be discussed at a council meeting on Thursday.
Council had placed newspaper advertisements and consulted through its website but submissions had now closed.
“The Commonwealth Games is something on a scale we’ve never seen before, particularly for Labrador with the new Gold Coast Hockey Centre,” Cr Boulton said.
“There will be nine of these traffic areas across the city. Free permits will be available for residents and the street parking zoning will be in place 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
“It’s currently proposed to review the boundaries of the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct Traffic Area in May 2018 following the completion of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.”