REDLAND City Council has cut back the number of 12-hour parking spaces in the Cleveland CBD after businesses complained about their impact on trade.
Cleveland Office Supplies owner Brian McDonald, who has lodged a 90-page petition with the council outlining parking concerns, said businesses across the CBD were struggling.
Other shop owners, workers and locals have also complained recently about the parking changes, with one claiming in March that the issue had reached "boiling point".
Mr McDonald said businesses had taken a hit after the Doig Street West car park closed and the council introduced 12-hour parking spaces.
"My business in the month of March, where the impact of parking issues started to take effect, was down 15 per cent compared to the same time last year," he said.
"Medical practices that I visited [for the petition], their biggest issue was patients not being able to make an appointment on time.
"Two practices said to me they have had people ringing ten minutes after an allocated appointment saying, 'I have to cancel because I can't get a park'."
The Doig Street West car park closed permanently in January to make way for a five-storey aged care facility.
Council signs posted around the CBD at the time said the number of 12-hour parking spaces on Doig, Waterloo, Queen and Middle streets had increased to help Cleveland Centre workers.
Cr Peter Mitchell said the council had listened to the community and changed back at least 50 per cent of the 12-hour spaces.
The change came before the parking petition was tabled in council.
"The CEO, on the collective advocacy of myself and community input, and in the face of figures they were looking at, said 'we need to respond'," he said
"People are saying 'yes, there is progress' but still really believe that it needs to go further, that there is not a place for 12 hours [parking].
"That's a strong message I'm getting from the petitioners and some others."
Mr McDonald, who received more than 750 signatures on his petition, said the council should look at using its South Street depot for employee parking.
"Any council employee who doesn't want to use alternative [transport] methods can park at the depot and get the bus down [to the CBD]," he said.
"The process council have gone through with this 12-hour parking is handicapping us as business people."
Cr Mitchell said it was important for businesses, landowners and the community to continue engaging with the council on parking and other matters into the future.
"Parking is a bit of a lightning rod for discussion, but if that's what rips the band-aid off to get people more engaged in transport, investment attraction, place-making and management, then bring it on," he said.
"If it only stays a discussion on parking, we are going to miss some enormous opportunities for making this place Australia's moist liveable town centre.
"It has to be top-down and bottom-up. That is going to take more than one pop-up in the street from council and more than one community petition."
Cr Mitchell said the Cleveland Local Area Transport Plan [LATP] currently being drafted would look at the area's future.
"I want to encourage business and council to have a much more engaged future. Otherwise, we are just going to keep moving from the moment in time to moment in time," he said.
"The LATP is just one document, but it is one really important document that looks at what transport and parking look like in Cleveland over the coming years.
"It isn't a panacea in itself, but it is going to be a great opportunity to get people to a table."
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