A 12-MONTH first-hour free parking trial in Launceston City Council-owned multi-storey car parks has been knocked back due to the cost.
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In front of a packed public gallery at yesterday’s meeting, aldermen voted against the trial, which was proposed to help rebuild retailer and shopper confidence.
According to the council report, the cost of the trial would be about $720,000 a year and it would run in conjunction with the daily two-hour (3.30pm-5.30pm) free parking incentive.
The decision to oppose the trial came despite the offer from some landlords to help subsidise the cost of the trial and requests to aldermen from Cityprom and the Launceston Chamber of Commerce that it go ahead.
Cityprom chief executive Vanessa Cahoon said 90 per cent of businesses were in favour of a reduction in the cost of parking and wanted the first-hour free trial.
‘‘So it seems to be that we’re continually surveying and providing information to the Launceston City Council alderman, supposed to be representing the interests of the ratepayers of the city of Launceston, and it does seem this is falling on deaf ears at the moment,’’ Ms Cahoon said.
The chamber’s executive officer, Maree Tetlow, said in recent days a number of CBD landlords had come to her saying they would put their hands in their pockets to make the trial happen.
Alderman Robin McKendrick, on hearing of the offer from landlords, asked if it would be possible to delay a decision until it could be investigated further.
There was no reaction to the proposal from other aldermen.
Alderman Tony Peck said the landlords should have come forward sooner with their proposal, but otherwise he believed the council’s City Heart project would revitalise Launceston.
Alderman Rob Soward referred to the report and the ABS statistics from 2006 to 2011 for Launceston, which showed gross salaries declining by $99 million a year and gross revenue dropping by $140 million a year and said that probably had more to do with the decline in shoppers than the cost of parking.
Alderman Ted Sands questioned how much the daily two hours of free parking was costing the council and was told about $95,000 a year.
He said this money, plus the $250,000 that could potentially come from scrapping the little-used Tiger Bus, would go someway to paying for the trial.
Mayor Albert van Zetten said the council had a possible $6.8 million TasWater bill hanging over its head and it would be foolish for it to agree to the trial.