Why our streets are paved with gold AINSLEY PAVEY 08may05
Why our streets are paved with gold
08may05
PARKING tickets worth nearly $250,000 are issued every week in central Brisbane.
In the 12 months to the end of March, 182,000 fines were slapped on motorists, scooping $12.7 million into Brisbane City Council coffers.
The council's total take from parking this financial year is expected to be about $24 million, including parking fees.
This is despite Lord Mayor Campbell Newman cutting parking meter charges in the CBD from $4 to $2.20 an hour since coming to power just over a year ago, as well as waiving 10,000 parking fines last month.
The council is still set to collect $700,000 more in fines this financial year than under the previous administration.
Critics have accused the council of cashing in on a lack of on-street parking through fines and highly-priced off-street parking stations.
The council-run car parks at King George Square near City Hall, and Wickham Tce, and Church St in Fortitude Valley bill motorists $18.50 for 4½-hour stays.
They raise about $6.4 million a year, with metered parking contributing about $5 million.
Both motoring and public transport lobby groups have called for a review of street parking, bus zones and clearways.
Street parking spaces in central Brisbane have fallen from 3600 to 1500 in the last 40 years, with the RACQ suggesting half of the city streets are a "no-go zone" for cars.
RACQ spokesman John Wickman said a bus zone on Turbot St had never hosted a bus despite the removal of meters.
"I have never ever seen a bus up there. They need to set some of it to metered parking, particularly out of hours," Mr Wickman said.
"It is a wasted space, it is almost as if they are discouraging people from coming to the City.
"The bus zones need to be reviewed, and if they are not being used they should be returned to metered parking."
Public Transport Alliance convenor Michael Yeates said: "Making parking cheaper doesn't matter much when there is not much of it.
"The council has correctly reduced the (on-street) parking fees, but transferred the profitability to off-street parking.
"Whether coming by public transport, which are very poor services, or by car, effectively the city is inaccessible."
But Cr Newman defended the council's record on parking.
He said he had given motorists the "best free kick" in years by cutting parking costs.
He has vowed to appoint a disputes commissioner by July 1 this year to review parking disputes.
But he has not ruled out leasing parking meters to investors, which is part of a plan being pushed by former lord mayor Jim Soorley.
Despite union concerns the plan may lead to disputes, Cr Newman said he would look at it.
Under the deal, investors are set to pay the council upfront in exchange for parking revenue and a long-term lease of meters.
"If it has commercial merit in council, if it saves money for the ratepayers of Brisbane, I will look at it, but I haven't seen anything yet," Cr Newman said.
He said he would not do anything without considering the views of unions.