Townsville City Council is preparing to roll out a new parking experience with the addition of more than 100 new parking meters in the city centre.
Townsville currently has French-manufactured parking meters, which were installed in 2010. These meters have now reached the end of their serviceable life and Council has been working with an Australian supplier to source new machines.
Council is now preparing to replace the existing meters with about 130 Australian-made meters, with work starting in December and rolling out across the city in early 2023.
Infrastructure Services Committee chairperson Kurt Rehbein said the current meters were outdated, prone to failure, and required parts from overseas which were difficult to source.
“Sometimes our current parking meters suffer glitches because they have reached the end of their useful life and need to be replaced,” Cr Rehbein said.
“Council wants to deliver value for ratepayers, which is why we have investigated innovative options and engaged Australian-owned and -based company Duncan Solutions to provide 130 new meters.
“For the ease of customers, we’re installing two types of solar powered parking meters, including meters which are coin, card and app operated for 2P parking spots, and card- and app-operated meters, featuring a 17-cm colour touch screen LED display, for all 4P and 8P parking spots.
“The complementary app allows people to pay for their parking without needing to go to the meter, making it quicker and easier to pay for your parking in the city.
“This technology will work by using each vehicle’s number plate as its identifier, removing the need for printed tickets to be displayed on vehicles.
“The solution we have found will not only offer the most up to date and sustainable technology but will also still allow people to use their spare change to pay at 2P parking meters.”
Business Services and Finance Committee chairperson Margie Ryder said the new parking meters would not change the cost of parking in Townsville.
“Council has maintained the same parking fees for the past 11 years,” Cr Ryder said.
