Teachers fear new parking limits

COUNCILLORS voting today on new regulated parking zones will be asked to provide concessions to teachers who cannot get to their cars.

A planned Central Traffic Area from Surfers Paradise to Broadbeach will limit parking for three hours between 9am-5pm on weekdays in signed areas.

Teachers at the Broadbeach Kindergarten who cannot leave the classrooms risk being fined and their managers want special parking rights.

Area councillor Paul Taylor agreed to five “drop off and pick up” zones in the car park adjacent to the kindergarten, but the spaces have been grabbed by tradies arriving to work on major construction sites.

Kindergarten spokeswoman Danielle Sorensen said: “Council argue that staff can park there but if it is full at 8am staff will be forced to park on the street and will have to move cars, jeopardising the safety of the children and breaching the educator-student ratios as per national regulations. We are not a childcare centre with floating staff to cover lunch breaks.”

Ms Sorensen said council agreed to put up a sign warning the car park was for the kindergarten and neighbouring croquet club, but admitted it could not police it.

Cr Taylor said he had provided a designated drop-off zone in the car park and unlimited parking at nearby soccer fields.

“If they get there early they can park (at the soccer fields). The tradies won’t be there forever. Hopefully it improves over time.”