Car parking - solutions?

[ozbob]

Just listened to the Minister for Transport on 612 ABC Radio saying among other things, that the 10km rule for park and ride is no longer in place.  They (Government) will look at park and rides on an ' ad hoc ' basis.  This was in the context of a discussion on the proposed park and ride at Carindale.

[#Metro]

Latest article
http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/east/vow-to-end-park-and-hide-era/story-fn8m0sve-1226371068640

NEW Assistant Minister for Transport Steve Minnikin, working to deliver a park and ride facility, has promised an end to Carindale residents being forced to "park and hide".

With Westfield Carindale to introduce paid parking in July or early August, the need for a dedicated park and ride facility right has been contentious.

Looks like we have a problem - the land acquisition costs may already be sunk if it is already government land (so not so bad in this respect IMHO - although there is an opportunity cost - A TOD could go in that land?) HOWEVER, what is to stop the 10% of shoppers who want to shop for 3+ hours from parking in the park and ride just to avoid westfield fees and charges? And they are going to do this at taxpayer cost as well?

Should there be a $2 day fee on parking in the park and ride like in Perth? Go Card swipe access only with a PT trip needing to be on the card, like in Perth?

[ozbob]

Yes, unless there is some form of access control it will be parked out by  centre workers/shoppers.

It won't be ready in a month either I suggest (as sort of indicated this afternoon on the radio).

[Golliwog]

I really do hope they think about how to control access. The whole point of a Park n Ride is to have people drive their car, park and catch PT. Putting this smack bang, right next to the Carindale SC, which is about to introduce paid parking, is just going to end up with the Park n Ride being full of early SC staff/customers. It's a no brainer that that's what is going to happen unless they come up with something to control the use of the PnR to PT users only.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Date set for paid parking  (Carindale)

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Councils nets $20 million from parking meters

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Council denies parking pain in Newmarket

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail Quest click here!

Call to stop commuters parking at Redcliffe Hospital

Call to stop commuters parking at Redcliffe Hospital

    by: Kay Picton, Redcliffe & Bayside Herald
    From: Quest Newspapers
    June 22, 2012 12:00AM

State Member for Redcliffe Scott Driscoll said a `policeable' car park may be the resolution to parking problems at Redcliffe Hospital and committed to making the issue a high priority.

Mr Driscoll said despite claims from the previous state member that changes were `coming soon', there was no planning in place for a solution when he was elected in March.

"Basically we're starting from scratch but I'm aware it's an issue and it's something we're looking at now,'' Mr Driscoll said.

Mr Driscoll did not commit to a specific solution, but he said he would rather look at `policeable' options like validated or paid parking over `huge capital expense commitments' such as multi-level car parking.

"We want to look at examples of what has been done in other areas and what will work here,'' he said.

The comments come after residents called for more to be done to solve car parking problems at the local hospital, with claims commuters were taking up many of the much-needed spaces.

The Herald visited the car park at 8am on Thursday morning and found more than 90 per cent of spaces were already taken, despite visiting hours not starting until 11am.

At 7am on Friday, more than 60 per cent of spaces were taken and drivers were seen parking and then walking across the road to the bus stop.

Redcliffe Hospital executive director Dr Donna O'Sullivan said there were 630 car parking spaces for patients and visitors, and 150 for staff.

A nurse who works at the hospital said she often had to leave home two hours before the start of her afternoon shift to ensure she found a park in time.

Readers were quick to share their experiences and suggestions about how to solve the problem - Jodi-Anne Harlow said 75 per cent of parks should be roped off until 10.55am to prevent commuters parking there.

Gee Casey of Clontarf suggested free parking for two hours and then paid parking, or parking that is validated at appointments for genuine patients.

"It's disgusting to see people who have no respect for the need of that hospital,'' Ms Casey said.

[#Metro]

I have an idea

CHARGE $$$

4 hours free and then start charging! Not a foreign concept!!

[STB]

Or just cut the parking off from the commuters using barriers and put no parking signs all around the place and force them to use their local bus stop for once.  I'm personally sick of people who have a bus stop nearby but then drive and park and ride only to catch a bus in (or train for that matter) in.

[Golliwog]

Or just cut the parking off from the commuters using barriers and put no parking signs all around the place and force them to use their local bus stop for once.  I'm personally sick of people who have a bus stop nearby but then drive and park and ride only to catch a bus in (or train for that matter) in.

Which is fair enough, I'm not a fan of it either. That said I do it due to the shocking nature of my local feeder, the 362. If it started earlier and ran later I would be more likely to use it.

[Jonno]

Or remove it all and provide local public transport!!!!!

[HappyTrainGuy]

That said I do it due to the shocking nature of my local feeder

Same here. I'm going to catch the bus to the train station.... first bus usually goes past after 7.45am.... one after that goes past at 9am.... 38 minute trip to the city.... last bus leaves the station at 5.30pm.... 10 minute drive to the station by car I go!

Still not as bad as catching one of thomspons buses to the local train station.... hourly peak hour frequency....  :conf

[STB]

That said I do it due to the shocking nature of my local feeder

Same here. I'm going to catch the bus to the train station.... first bus usually goes past after 7.45am.... one after that goes past at 9am.... 38 minute trip to the city.... last bus leaves the station at 5.30pm.... 10 minute drive to the station by car I go!

Still not as bad as catching one of thomspons buses to the local train station.... hourly peak hour frequency....  :conf

By the looks of things (I'm assuming you are in that small pocket in Brendale), the 338 is designed to get you to Chermside, Albany Creek or Aspley, where you can transfer onto any number of services there.  35x out of Albany Creek, 345 out of Aspley and 330, 333, 340 etc out of Chermside.

[HappyTrainGuy]

The bigger pocket to the South West - Eatons Hill (Outbound if its not on time the 338 is usually 5-10 minutes late due to traffic around Chermside/schools etc). Its about a 10 minute trip to Strathpine station/Westfield to connect to trains and buses. 338 takes a nice site seeing tour on its way to Chermside too. Everyone that lives there doesn't all go to Brisbane CBD. A couple people that I know/frequently see along my street work/go to Strathpine/to the north, Bracken Ridge, Sandgate, Carseldine/Bald Hills (where bunnings is next to the Bruce Highway link) Aspley and Chermside. Most drive because of how poor PT is outright, confusing running patterns (338/357/359 all take up different routes in the afternoon - 338 doesn't get you to Brendale in the arvo as it terminates at Eatons Hill but the next 338 terminates at Brendale) or connecting re 338+327 or 338+any thompsons service. PT is a real mess up this way.

[ozbob]

Assistant Minister for Public Transport
Mr Steve Minnikin

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Parking win for Carindale commuters

Carindale commuters will soon be able to park and ride with the Newman Government committing to a 300-space park 'n' ride at one of the Eastern suburbs' major transport hubs.

Assistant Minister for Public Transport Steve Minnikin said the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council had agreed to use the existing council-controlled site on the corner of Creek Road and Old Cleveland Road.

"The local community has lobbied hard for a solution for the hundreds of commuters who park at Carindale bus station and I'm pleased that we will be able to deliver it as part of our program to expand park n ride facilities across South East Queensland," Mr Minnikin said.

"We saw the previous government put its head in the sand when it came to the issue meeting the parking needs of public transport users at major shopping centres, but this is a sensible solution.

"The creation of an official park 'n' ride at Carindale will mean commuters will no longer need to use space within the shopping centre or 'park n hide' in the surrounding residential streets."

The Carindale bus station is located in the shopping centre and is serviced by more than 22 bus routes, including high-frequency routes 200 and 222 and a number of peak-only services.

"The new park 'n' ride will give Carindale residents a real alternative to car travel and take pressure off the shopping centre and local residents."

The new park 'n' ride will include upgraded pavement and line marking, new lighting and signage.

Final designs are being completed. Work is expected to start in early July and will take about a month to complete.

[ENDS] 27 June 2012

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Carindale commuters to get park'n'ride

Carindale commuters to get park'n'ride
June 27, 2012 - 4:46PM

Carindale commuters will have the option of using a new, free park 'n' ride station beside the shopping centre from August.

However commuters will have to fight Westfield's 1000-plus staff for the 300 car spaces available, as they continue to fight management's moves to charge them to park at work.

It a shift from the Bligh government's policy of no park 'n' rides within 10 kilometres of the Brisbane CBD, a disused Brisbane City Council car park on the corner of Creek and Old Cleveland roads will be converted to a commuter car park.

Queensland Transport will spent about $500,000 to improve line markings, install overhead lights and make improvements to the walkways to the nearby bus interchange.

Carindale Shopping Centre will introduce paid parking on July 16.

Assistant Minister for Public Transport Steve Minnikin said the Queensland government and Brisbane City Council had recently agreed to use the existing council-controlled site.

"As the government has previously said, we will look on a 'case-by-case basis' at where new park 'n' ride stations can be placed," he said.

"The local community has lobbied hard for a solution for the hundreds of commuters who park at Carindale bus station and I'm pleased that we will be able to deliver it as part of our program to expand park 'n' ride facilities across southeast Queensland."

A spokesman for Mr Minnikin said while the department expected Carindale Shopping Centre staff could use the car park free of charge, early commuters would most likely grab the car spaces.

Carindale bus station is located in the shopping centre and serviced by 22 bus routes, including high-frequency routes 200 and 222 and a number of peak-only services.

"The new park 'n' ride will give Carindale residents a real alternative to car travel and take pressure off the shopping centre and local residents," Mr Minnikin said.

In January, then-Labor MP Steve Kilburn said a park 'n' ride on the site would cause difficulties when Westfield began paid parking.

Mr Kilburn said Westfield staff were likely to start using the free car park on public land, taking up commuter spaces.

"That won't solve the problem; it's not going to fix up people parking in the street. The only thing that is going to fix that is improved feeder [bus] services."

Work will start next week and will take about a month to complete.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/carindale-commuters-to-get-parknride-20120627-212as.html

[ozbob]

This Carindale park n' ride is too funny.  Early workers at Carindale will pinch a lot of spaces.  How many left 150? 200?  4 buses worth.  Folks will drive there, no spots left, caught in the no parking wasteland ....

Yeah, real smart this.  How about restricting entry by go card.  No public transport travel full commercial rate parking? 

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

Brisbane City Council approves Westfield Chermside's plans for entertainment precinct on condition extra 532 car parks in new section are free of charge

Brisbane City Council approves Westfield Chermside's plans for entertainment precinct on condition extra 532 car parks in new section are free of charge

    by: Sarah Vogler
    From: The Courier-Mail
    June 28, 2012 12:00AM

WESTFIELD will be blocked from charging for car parking planned as part of a multimillion-dollar extension to its Chermside shopping centre in a move likely to spark a legal battle.

Brisbane City Council yesterday approved the retailer's plans for a 35,000sq m entertainment precinct at the centre, on Brisbane's northside, on the condition the extra 532 car parks included in the new section are provided free of charge.

It follows a similar condition placed on a new town centre development at Rochedale.

Westfield introduced paid parking at its Chermside shopping centre last year and will begin charging shoppers parking for more than three hours at its Carindale centre from July 16.

Westfield did not comment yesterday but planning chair Cr Amanda Cooper said council was preparing for a possible legal challenge over the paid parking block.

[#Metro]

532 x 40 000 = 21 million

[SurfRail]

532 x 40 000 = 21 million

Paid for by Westfield, so I'm not that concerned about opportunity costs.  They aren't going to spend that money on funding extra PT (although maybe they should be made to under a more progressive planning system).

[ozbob]

Channel 10 news have followed up with an interview re parking.

Thanks for the interest.

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

Haves and have-nots in paid parking row stir unions to speak up

Haves and have-nots in paid parking row stir unions to speak up

    by: David Murray
    From: The Sunday Mail (Qld)
    June 28, 2012 9:16AM

LOWLY-paid retail workers are set to be charged to park at their workplace while a stone's throw away their elected government representatives will pay nothing.

About 2000 staff will be slugged $3 a day each to park at work when corporate giant Westfield enforces paid parking at Carindale shopping centre in Brisbane's south next month.

Just metres away the Liberal National Party's Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner and new state MP Steve Minnikin will continue to park for free at their electorate offices across the road.

Retail workers survive on an average of $31,200 a year while Cr Schrinner has a salary package of more than $175,000 and MPs have a base salary of about $134,000.

The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association said councillors and MPs were living in a "fantasy land" while their constituents picked up the bill.

"These LNP big wigs easily make four to five times more than the average award wage retail employee," state secretary Chris Ketter said.

"Here we see hypocrisy at its worst and the very people who failed to protect their voters from paid parking will now get off scott free.

"The fact they will continue to enjoy free parking on top of huge salaries and benefits like cars and phones is a slap in the face to the average Westfield employee."

The union wants Premier Campbell Newman to amend planning laws to allow local governments to block paid parking on private land.

Cr Schrinner said he did not support paid parking but council "does not have the power to dictate Westfield's internal parking arrangements".

"Any knee-jerk attempt to change the current laws would simply expose ratepayers to costly legal battles and compensation claims from shopping centres," he said.

A spokesman from Mayor Graham Quirk's office confirmed councillors were provided free parking at their electorate offices as well as CBD parking.

Westfield says it has been forced to charge for parking to relieve pressure on overcrowded car parks . Paid parking was previously introduced at Westfield Chermside last October and could be rolled out at other shopping centres.

"Westfield has always said that the priority for parking spaces at its centres is to guarantee as much available space as possible for shoppers and this is what retailers expect in order to trade efficiently," a company spokeswoman said.

From July 16 Carindale shoppers will get three hours free parking then will be charged $2 for 3/12 hours, $3 for four hours, $6 for five hours and up to $20 for more than seven hours.

Staff will park in a separate area and it is estimated they will pay a combined $1 million in a year for driving to work.

[somebody]

Or just charge to park and have the market sort it out.

[ozbob]

Channel 10 News Parking Wars --> http://ten.com.au/ten-news-brisbane.htm?movideo_p=44240&movideo_m=201809

[somebody]

Or just charge to park and have the market sort it out.

Depends if the parking is being done on purely commerical basis, if so yes. If its provided by QR for its commuters, like a shopping does for its shoppers (well the ones that don't charge), then its a bit tricker.

I don't think it is.  A number of planners have done work on the price of free parking.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Brisbane has Australia's most costly one-hour parking

Brisbane has Australia's most costly one-hour parking
July 2, 2012 - 7:27AM

Brisbane is Australia's most expensive CBD for one-hour parking and the second most expensive city for parking overall behind Sydney, Queensland's motoring body says.

The RACQ's annual audit of capital city off-street parking costs canvassed all Australian CBDs.

Brisbane motorists are now paying almost four times what they did in 2001, it says.

RACQ spokesman Michael Roth says average weekday Brisbane CBD parking rates increased 28.7 per cent over the past year.

Short term visitors to Brisbane city are hardest hit, with one hour parking rates skyrocketing to an average $27.94 per hour.

That is five per cent higher than the Sydney CBD at $26.71 per hour and 64 per cent more than Melbourne at $17.08 per hour.

More than 60 per cent of the maximum daily parking charge in the Brisbane CBD is accrued in the first two hours, Mr Roth says.

"It means that Brisbane motorists who want to go to the CBD for a movie, shopping or some other purpose will pay an average of $42.31 for two hours' parking and $65.71 for four hours," he said.

The annual parking report, which was introduced in 2011 by the RACQ, found Sydney is the most expensive city to park for between two and four hours, with average rates between $51.35 and $72.25 respectively.

AAP

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/brisbane-has-australias-most-costly-onehour-parking-20120702-21bix.html

[somebody]

The above shows that public transport is not an attractive option to reach the CBD for many.

[Fares_Fair]

The above shows that public transport is not an attractive option to reach the CBD for many.

It certainly isn't for families.

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

Brisbane tops nation in CBD parking costs

Brisbane tops nation in CBD parking costs

    by: Robyn Ironside
    From: The Courier-Mail
    July 02, 2012 12:00AM

IT COSTS more to park for an hour in Brisbane's CBD than anywhere else in the country after a huge rise in car parking charges in the past 12 months.

A report by peak motoring body RACQ found off-street parking in the city centre soared by a crippling 314 per cent in the past decade, and 28.7 per cent in the last year.

Just 60 minutes of parking costs an average of $27.94, more than Sydney on $26.71 and Melbourne ($17.08).

If you stay for two hours, you'll pay an average $42.31 while Sydneysiders shell out $51.35 and Melbournites $34.36. The cost rises to $65.71 for four hours of parking in Brisbane and $72.25 in Sydney.

RACQ executive public policy manager Michael Roth said the massive increase in charges was "straight profit-taking" from the major parking houses.

"With only two companies operating the majority of CBD parking stations in Brisbane, there is a level of monopolistic pricing going on," Mr Roth said.

He said much of the problem was caused by Brisbane City Council policy which for years had constrained the provision of car parking space in the CBD.

Up until last year, new commercial developments were required to provide only one car park for every 200sq m of floor area - to minimise the number of cars coming into the city.

The BCC passed changes to the law in May 2011 to double the car parking requirement for new towers but Mr Roth said that would take years to have any impact.

"What would make a more immediate difference would be another parking station run by BCC to relieve pressure on parking," he said.

Another factor contributing to the price hikes was the reduction in on-street metered parking in the CBD, said Mr Roth.

"That's not only sending more people into the parking stations, it's adding to congestion with vehicles spending more time driving around the CBD hoping to find an on-street park to save money," he said.

BCC's neighbourhood planning chairman Amanda Cooper rejected the RACQ's claims and questioned how councils were to blame for the decisions of private car parking companies to increase their prices.

"This LNP administration has invested billions building record numbers of new buses, ferries and bikeways to ensure people can get to the CBD quickly and hassle-free without having to pay for car parking," Cr Cooper said.

"We ensure CBD commercial buildings have adequate parking, however it's a careful balancing act as too many will lead to peak hour gridlock and then everybody loses."

Mr Roth said 70 per cent of CBD workers were using public transport.

"These parking restrictions can't get many more people out of cars. They're just a deterrent to visiting the CBD for shopping, or lunch or dinner which in turn hurts the retailers and restaurateurs," he said.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

'Oligopoly' squeezes drivers out of CBD

'Oligopoly' squeezes drivers out of CBD
July 3, 2012 - 3:00AM

The RACQ has blasted a "comfortable oligopoly", comprising Brisbane City Council and two major private providers, which it said had exploited an undersupply of parking that has made driving into the CBD sole domain of the very wealthy.

RACQ spokesman Michael Roth was speaking off the back of yesterday's RACQ annual audit of capital city off-street parking costs, which found Brisbane was Australia's most expensive CBD for one-hour parking, and the second most expensive city for parking overall.

But Neighbourhood Planning chairman Amanda Cooper disputed the motoring body's claims the council was to blame, arguing it delivered the right balance of car parking and public transport for the CBD.

Brisbane City Council operates two off-street car parks in the city, at King George Square and Wickham Terrace, with the rest of the market dominated by Sydney-based Secure Parking and Wilson's, headquartered in Hong Kong.

Though the council approves applications for parking developments in the CBD, a spokesman said there were no ongoing charges associated with privately managed car-parks.

While Mr Roth said the council car parks were well priced relative to the fees charged by the private competitors, overall rates for the 25,141 off-street spaces in the city were unreasonable.

"It's a question of supply – there aren't enough parks in Brisbane – but it's also a question of a comfortable oligopoly with little interest in making parking affordable in the city for anyone who isn't a corporate with a private park," he said.

"Council tells us they want a vibrant city – well if you've got people paying an average of $42.31 for two hours' parking and $65.71 for four hours while shopping or seeing a movie, that's not going to encourage vibrancy is it?"

While Wilson's declined to comment in regards to why their prices had risen steadily since 2001, a spokeswoman for Secure Parking defended the increase on the grounds not all drivers paid the standard "rack" rate identified in the RACQ study.

"The majority of drivers are early bird, monthly or taking advantage of one of the host of offers that Secure Parking has in the market," she said.

"For example, through its free Club Secure program, Secure Parking offers all day early bird parking at multiple car parks right in the heart of the CBD for less than $20.

"To simply look at one rate of parking in isolation is not an accurate reflection of the full range of off street prices and offers available to drivers particularly when most of our Brisbane car parks offer 20 minute parking with some from as low as $5."

Cr Cooper said the council was focused on developing public transport to offset a reliance on off-street parking supply in the CBD.

"We ensure CBD commercial buildings have adequate parking," she said.

"However it's a careful balancing act as too many car parks will lead to peak hour gridlock in the CBD and then everybody loses."

Mr Roth said the RACQ had not considered private lease arrangements, nor included early bird rates in the audit, acknowledging motorists could still find good deals.

"But they're not for everybody," he said.

"RACQ has expressed to government and BCC that a charge to enter the CBD may make more sense than these huge parking charges plus tolls on inner city bypasses [like] Clem7.

"We now have relatively empty and bankrupt toll roads doing little to reduce congestion while we charge exorbitant rates for a short CBD visit. Is that really the best outcome our governments can facilitate?"

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/oligopoly-squeezes-drivers-out-of-cbd-20120702-21czn.html

[Jonno]

I sorry but the comment that 70% of workers were using public transport does not sound right. During peak hour maybe but there is more traffic entering CBD all day.  Even if 70% is right what % of overall trips is that. 

RACQ love to find random stats and claim "WE NEED MORE ROADS AND CAR PARKS AND IT MUST BE PAID FOR BY SOMEONE OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLE OWNERS".   

They are in fact a key player in why our transport system is the mess it is today but oh no it is because no one listened to them.  What a load of [CENSORED]

[somebody]

I sorry but the comment that 70% of workers were using public transport does not sound right. During peak hour maybe but there is more traffic entering CBD all day.  Even if 70% is right what % of overall trips is that. 

Well, it would not be, but where did they say that?

[ozbob]

I sorry but the comment that 70% of workers were using public transport does not sound right. During peak hour maybe but there is more traffic entering CBD all day.  Even if 70% is right what % of overall trips is that. 

Well, it would not be, but where did they say that?

Mr Roth said 70 per cent of CBD workers were using public transport.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/city-parking-charges-shift-up-a-gear/story-e6freoof-1226414091827

Prior article ...

[somebody]

Hmm, where did he get that figure?  Ian Wallis report out of AKL has it at 62%.

[Jonno]

Knowing the RACQ they asked 10 random people outside a city car parking location and found 7 had driven.  Dodgy as!!

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Residents take advantage of car park squeeze

Residents take advantage of car park squeeze
July 5, 2012 - 3:00AM

Scores of Brisbane residents are making up to $120 a week from leasing their driveways and garages to motorists eager to avoid the city's steep off-street parking fees and sprawling metered on-street parking network.

But the Brisbane City Council has warned the practice was illegal, although offenders were only pursued if a complaint was made to the council.

Figures supplied to brisbanetimes.com.au by RentMyCarPark.com.au founder Mick Dunne show the average weekly rent for these 'blackmarket' Brisbane spaces is $79, equating to just over $4000 per year in extra income.
Advertisement: Story continues below

And the fee compares favourably to official off-street CBD parking rates; Brisbane City Council offers among the cheapest off-street parking in the city with an $18 early bird fee equating to a best-case scenario of $90 per week.

But a council spokesman said the cost of leasing off private providers could be far greater, with the practice deemed against local law.

"It is illegal," he said.

"If a resident is charging someone to park their vehicle on private property, they are essentially operating a business.

"This business would be defined as a car park under the City Plan [and] all commercial carparks require city planning approval."

Mr Dunne said it was up to the providers and their customers to determine the legalities of their arrangements, but that there had been a steady swell in demand for the advertising service his business has provided since 2009.

Inspired by empty driveways in Sydney, Mr Dunne said while the New South Wales capital was still Australia's most competitive private rental market, Brisbane was a solid third behind Melbourne and had plenty of untapped potential.

"Buying and selling car parks is kind of like a black art," he said.

"There's a mega-market out there for it, but no-one has really taken advantage of it largely because of the by-laws that regulate parking.

"In my opinion, it should be structured similar to residential real estate, where agents can lease the spaces as they would sublet a room."

RACQ spokesman Michael Roth said that the number of spaces listed on dedicated sites like RentMyCarPark.com.au or community forums like Gumtree and Reddit reflected an under-supply of affordable inner-city car parking.

Speaking off the back of an RACQ audit that found Brisbane to be Australia's second most expensive city parking market, Mr Roth said this blackmarket was not monitored by the motoring body.

"We would expect that more expensive rates from the approved suppliers is only going to drive up incentive [to list car spaces privately]," he said.

The council spokesman said City Hall had not observed an increase in these illegal parking offences.

"Council investigates car parking issues based on complaints received," he said.

"These are typically made by affected residents or other commercial operators.

"Following the receipt of the complaint, council will commence an investigation which could lead to normal enforcement action. If the complaints are substantiated, a show cause notice and enforcement notices can be issued under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009."

Potential legal ramifications haven't deterred Joe Jensen, who rents one of the two car parks at his Spring Hill home.

He said business was booming.

Mr Jensen decided to put the space up for lease on an ad-hoc basis in October last year and took out a private classified ad online.

Since January, he said the number of inquiries about the car space had increased dramatically.

"We knew there was a dearth of car parking spaces in the area and we're close to the CBD so we thought why not," Mr Jensen said.

"There is paid parking on our street, but we're offering a better price and people prefer parking off the road in a more secure area.

Though his "customers" were initially looking for one-day or short term parking, Mr Jensen said he's now receiving requests for longer term arrangements.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/residents-take-advantage-of-car-park-squeeze-20120704-21gzx.html

[WTN]

Here's a little idea to help one visualise how much space would be needed if everyone in the CBD drove their car in.

For an office building, imagine a car in place of each person's desk, for every floor of the office. Then it's quite easy to see that you'd need a building about as big as the office to house everyone's cars. The alternative is to have half the building as office space, the other half for cars.

Next, for a shopping centre (or shopping strip). For each shop, imagine a car in place of each staff member and each customer. Again, its quite easy to fill the shop floor with cars.

And finally, a busy pedestrian mall. Queen Street Mall would be an excellent example. The carpark floor space would need to be about the same size as the mall itself (or bigger) to park a car for each person in the mall.

So to really have enough carparks in the CBD, you would need to allocate about half the land use to carparking. Putting carparks underground helps hide them, but that can only go so far and the roads feeding them have to be bigger. They're already congested during peak hour.

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

Brisbane Airport charges more to park a car than a plane, airline complaints commissioner named

Brisbane Airport charges more to park a car than a plane, airline complaints commissioner named

    by: Thomas Chamberlin, Samantha Maiden
    From: The Sunday Mail (Qld)
    July 08, 2012 12:00AM

BRISBANE'S airport charges more to park a car than a plane for 24 hours, shock figures show.

The Sunday Mail has found a plane up to 5000kg costs $33.60 to park for a day compared to $42 for a car. Parking a plane is free for the first two hours, while it costs $17 to park a car.

Families and motoring groups are furious, the RACQ demanding Brisbane Airport Corporation lower prices and stop "subsidising airlines".

"Clearly cars should be charged less than planes - it's a pretty easy call," RACQ executive public policy manager Michael Roth said.

The situation has given rise to several third-party parking providers who allow parking near the airport and shuttle-bus pickups and dropoffs at more competitive rates.

The airport made more than $84.6 million in 2010-11 from parking.

The revelation comes as RACQ last week released figures showing Brisbane motorists now paid the most in Australia for an hour of off-street parking - and pay almost four times what they paid in 2001 for weekday rates.

The average per hour was $27.94, compared to $26.71 in Sydney and $17.08 in Melbourne.

Bill and Gaye Martin, both 53, said they were outraged at being slugged $150 to park at the airport after a one-week trip to Cairns.

The cost is double what they would have paid in Melbourne or Adelaide and $28 more than Sydney.

"The price we paid for that is the same as our one-way ticket to Cairns," Mrs Martin, of Mothar Mountain near Gympie, said.

Mr Martin, who said he would have happily paid $75, said: "The term profiteering comes to mind, it's simply outrageous."

Mr Roth said the airport should get more of its revenue from airlines rather than motorists. "What we are seeing, where business have a lot of market power, they use that market power and increase those costs for parking.

"With the Brisbane Airport, motorists have little option but to park or to pay for a cab, which is itself expensive because the airport is generally a long trip from most places," he said.

He said the airport had a monopoly.

Despite the low parking fee for aircraft, Brisbane Airport Corporation spokeswoman Leonie Vandeven said planes paid a landing fee of $66.

"The claim that parking is subsidising the airlines is absurd," she said.

Airline complaints go sky high

BUT parking isn't the only bugbear of air travellers. Bad-tempered call centre operators, dodgy airline food and cancelled flights are in the sights of Australia's first airline complaints tsar.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese will today announce the appointment of Julia Lines, a former manager at the Health Complaints Commission, to the job.

While customers will still be asked to try to resolve their complaints with airlines in the first instance, Australia's major airlines have agreed to fund the new position to consider disputes that are not satisfactorily resolved.

Ms Lines pledged to name and shame airlines that failed to respond to consumer complaints, predicting that consumers would have a new tool to determine value and reliability for flights.

"The website went live on July 1. So it's all systems go," Ms Lines said.

"The issues we will be covering are things like flight delays, cancellations, refunds, problems with websites and in-flight services.

"Some passengers are clearly encountering turbulence when it comes to airline complaints.

"We will be reporting publicly on the complaints we receive so consumers will have some information now that they don't currently have."

Ms Lines said the top problems consumers were concerned about included flight delays, cancellations, telephone reservation services, fees and charges, baggage services and loyalty frequent flyer schemes.

She warned that airlines' communications with customers and in some cases airlines staff's bad attitude were big factors in disputes that proved difficult to resolve.

"The difficulty customers have in making their telephone reservations - perhaps attitude. Most complaints have a communications aspect to them."

[#Metro]

"Clearly cars should be charged less than planes - it's a pretty easy call," RACQ executive public policy manager Michael Roth said.

This is incorrect. Pricing is set according to supply and demand, and clearly there are more cars than planes.

He said the airport had a monopoly.

Again, not correct. Taxi, bus, airtrain, and even alternative parking (so no monopoly) ---> http://www.abelairportpark.com.au/ From $7 PER DAY