Townsville City Council is communicating with residents and businesses in the suburbs surrounding Queensland Country Bank Stadium about new event parking regulations that will come into effect next month.
Mayor Jenny Hill said on-street parking in the streets surrounding the stadium would be regulated on days when games or events were held at the stadium.
“Council is moving proactively to minimise the impact stadium patrons have on residents who live in the suburbs near the stadium, namely Railway Estate and South Townsville,” Cr Hill said.
“To protect these neighbourhoods from being inundated with cars during stadium events, Council will implement parking restrictions in parts of these suburbs, similar to what has been in place in the suburbs around 1300Smiles Stadium.
“Council will use the first few stadium events to monitor the situation and collect feedback from affected businesses and residents in order to fine tune the approach.”
The regulations will limit how long a vehicle can be parked on the street around events but will not restrict how many vehicles can be parked inside a property.
Generally, parking in these areas will be limited to 15 minutes, however in the area around Palmer Street a two-hour limit will apply.
The new regulations will apply from one hour before until one hour after a main game or event.
A resident parking permit will be made available at no charge for each property in the regulated parking area. Residents can apply for a permit online and will be provided with information about when and how to do this.
There will be no need to display the permit. When patrols are conducted of the Stadium Event Parking Area, number plate recognition technology will enable council to quickly identify permitted vehicles.
Council will issue special permits, where necessary, for residents who have a carer, receive assistance from health or community organisations, or can provide justification of special circumstances.
Cr Hill said letters going to residents and businesses explained the new restrictions and the permit process, with more information being sent to residents in the coming weeks about how to apply for a resident parking permit or special parking permit.
