Parking rethink needed to solve HOTA debacle

LOOK at the aerial picture of the HOTA empire and it shows the growing problem of lack of car parking.

Top section paid parking all day metered. 2nd section free parking restricted arts centre, four hours maximum.

3rd section restricted one or three hours parking .

Council offices make up 25 per cent of land space.

Behind offices 4th section reserved for council vehicles.

Reserved for council vehicles taking up 1/3 of all spaces.

So when you look overall you can see that out of all the available parking at HOTA more than 50 per cent is taken up by council offices and council workers’ vehicles.

Last week we tried to park so we could go to a HOTA movie, no room anywhere so had to street park and walk to HOTA and miss the beginning of the movie. Even if one pays $2 or more to park why should one? Cinema prices are same as Australia Fair where parking is free.

Now Tom Tate wants to build a plaza in the front of the Arts Centre, meaning we will lose more spaces?

On Sunday, trying and find a space to park your car at 9am when going to the farmers market, it is almost impossible Solutions:

All parking is free to HOTA patrons, somehow produce a HOTA ticket and get a refund

Relocate the council chambers to Southport or Nerang, it is totally ridiculous to have a bunch of civil servants having their own building in the midst of an entertainment precinct. Then give that space to parking or build a multistorey carpark there. Stop all council vehicles using the car parks. They are not customers of HOTA. We are and we should be able to park.

What’s going to happen once Tate’s art gallery opens? Listening to him it will bring thousands from all over the country to see his Rubik’s cube. Where will they park? I think Tate wants people to park on Chevron Island and walk over his bridge. Those Chevron Island residents will be happy!

I hope this has highlighted the growing problems at HOTA that will not be resolved unless the council has a major rethink. Sorry to disappoint the mayor but we don’t run around on the tram, that only serves southport to Broadbeach residents, not the thousands who live in the suburbs.