YOUR editorial

(‘Controversy has not been parked yet’, 1/8/18) about the sale of the Bruce Bishop Car Park misses a few salient points.

Firstly, before any sensible endorsement can be made of this deal, the full details must be disclosed to the public. We are all still in the dark about what this deal really means for the city.

Secondly, your comment that the car park is rarely full fails to appreciate that Surfers Paradise, by its nature, remains a seasonal tourism and events destination with peaks and troughs throughout the year. Of course the car park is not full 365 days of the year, but its 1640 space capacity is needed numerous times throughout the year during holidays and special events to cater for surges in usage. That is exactly what the car park was designed to do. If it was full all the time, then the case would be made to provide more parking, not less.

Thirdly, your comment that the core business of councils is roads, rates and rubbish, not operating car parks, belies the facts. All councils in this modern era are involved in business and related activities other than roads, rates and rubbish. What about health services? What about libraries? What about economic development and trade missions? What about support programs for homeless, domestic violence et cetera? These are all council activities that are expected by the residents in a mature city. A very pertinent example is the development and operation of the cultural centre, which the paper supports. That is not a “core activity” by your narrow editorial definition. DEBORAH KELLY (BA LLB)