Retailers feeling the pinch

RETAILERS in Townsville’s CBD claim the city’s parking woes are crippling their businesses, with the damage already done.

Fashion Gallery owner Olga Jordan said the new Woolworths on Sturt St, which opened in December last year, was hindering people’s ability to park.

She said the Woolworths supermarket had been moved across the street and was now twice as big.

“But they only brought the same number of car parks. That supermarket has doubled its revenue which means there’s double the number of people, so where do you think they’re all parking?”

Ms Jordan said parking inspectors were working to make sure motorists were fined the moment they went over their time limit.

“On a Saturday or Sunday you can’t get near the city because staff are using all the car parks,” she said.

“I don’t understand how Townsville City Council can justify $ 73 ( parking fines), it should be at least two hours free.

“It’s just awful around here. I got booked for parking in the city at 8.45am on Saturday when I was in the loading zone but I own a business.”

Ms Jordan said the damage had been done. “It’s crippled my business, we’re not going to survive,” she said.

Beet Bar owner Megan Wessel said the one- hour free parking proposal was a good idea to encourage customers to travel into the city.

“Right now you get fined at the drop of a hat,” she said.

“I think it’s a great idea. We get people coming in and complaining about it all the time.” Ms Wessel said during peak lunch periods, customers couldn’t find parks.

“We ( staff) pay for parking in the eight- hour zones or park in the Dean St free parking,” she said.

“It would be nice if they had a big multi- level carpark for people in the city. It will be interesting when the CBD stadium goes in.”

The Speckled Hen Antiques and Collectibles owner Ian Fleming said having free parking was difficult.

“When you had free parking before you could never get a park,” he said

. “If we had decent public transport we wouldn’t need the amount of parks.”