Parking changes at busy Nobby’s
LOCALS at Nobby Beach are going to have their parking restricted from July 9.
In a letter to residents of the beachside hotspot, Gold Coast City Council says it is introducing the restrictions to manage “the growing demand for carparking in the area”, one of the Coast’s most popular dining destinations.
The new two-hour and three-hour restrictions will apply from 9am to 10pm seven days a week and follow the opening of several new restaurants and a new upper balcony area at Hellenika, with more new restaurants to follow.
Two-hour parking limits will apply in the sections of Wave Street, Lavarack Road and Chairlift Avenue between Petrel Avenue and the Gold Coast Highway while threehour parking will be permitted on the western side of the Gold Coast Highway service road.
The restrictions mean local residents will not be able to park their cars on the street overnight without being fined until at least 8pm every night.
The changes apply to the Nobby Beach commercial and entertainment precinct from Wave Street to Great Hall Drive between the Gold Coast Highway and Petrel Avenue.
Car parking at the Nobby Beach shops has been a growing problem because of the growing popularity of the restaurant and cafe strip.
Restaurant employees are presently forced to take up valuable parking spaces within the strip or in the suburban streets behind the shops.
Council says parking sensor technology and on-site surveys have been used to develop the regulations to increase vehicle turnover of parking spaces and improve availability at peak times. It also hopes the new measures will reduce congestion and the number of cars circling, looking for parking.
However, residents fear the measure will push drivers further out into the residential areas of the small beachside suburb, which is already extremely congested – particularly during the warmer months.
Council says it will review the restrictions after 12 months.
“By offering a combination of short and medium term timed parking spaces we can manage the growing demand for parking and ensure that everyone has access to our beaches and businesses,” the letter to residents says.
A guide to Gold Coast suburbs on council’s website refers drivers to the Nobby Beach Surf Club car park as well as local streets.