Parking meters are set to form part of a major new urban centre, but how paid parking could be implemented and managed remains unclear.
Sunshine Coast Council has asked developer Stockland to detail how parking meters and “smart-city” infrastructure would be delivered within the Birtinya Central town centre, confirming both are requirements for the precinct.
A council spokesperson said smart-city infrastructure was part of council’s Smart City Framework to integrate data capture technology into city centres and to inform council’s decision making.
Earlier this month, Stockland lodged an operational works application with council regarding electrical and street-lighting infrastructure for the 28-hectare mixed-use development.
Situated along Kawana Way and adjacent to the Sunshine Coast Health Precinct, Birtinya Central is expected to eventually deliver up to 2600 homes alongside retail, entertainment, commercial and community spaces.
In a letter dated August 17, council advised Stockland it had not demonstrated compliance with the Kawana Waters Development Agreement regarding the provision of the meters and the smart-city infrastructure.
While the agreement dates back to 1996, the specific requirement for parking meters was added more recently.
Council’s information request states the agreement “stipulates that Stockland must provide parking meters and all necessary telecommunications conduits, multi-function poles, switchboards and lighting controls to support deployment of smart-city Infrastructure in the town centre east of Kawana Way”.
Planning documents also state that parking meters from council’s “preferred supplier” are to be provided for all on-street parking bays in the town centre’s east and lakeside precincts.
However, they do not specify what motorists would pay or when paid parking would operate.
Sunshine Coast News asked council why paid parking was required at Birtinya Central and who would own and manage the meters.
“Council’s Local Area Parking Plan (LAPP) for Birtinya identified the future town centre as an area where paid, time-restricted on-street parking will be introduced,” a council spokesperson said.
“The objective is to achieve a balanced parking outcome. Council will own and manage the meters.
“Both Birtinya and Caloundra LAPPs recognise the need to effectively manage parking demand within their respective activity centres.”
The comments come only months after council abandoned about $800,000 worth of new parking meters in the Caloundra business centre and returned the area to free parking.
Paid parking is already established across parts of Birtinya, providing some indication of how a future system could operate.
Council’s Birtinya Parking Area Map, which was updated in July, shows 125 metered on-street spaces along Birtinya Boulevard, Eccles Boulevard, Bright Place and Shine Court.
The spaces are subject to two- or four-hour paid parking between 8am and 5pm, seven days a week.
The same map identifies undeveloped parts of Birtinya for “future regulated on-street parking”, stating that “the parking management strategy will be rolled out further as these areas are developed”.
Talk of rolling out paid parking into the town centre is not new.
Council’s 2017 Birtinya LAPP proposed introducing “paid, time-restricted on-street parking to the Kawana town centre, part of Lake Kawana Boulevard and North Birtinya Island as development progresses”.
“Birtinya is emerging as a key centre in the region and is being developed under unique development processes,” the plan states.
“Many precincts are fully developed while some are still emerging.
“These controls can have a significant impact on the provision of on and off-street parking. Paid parking is part of parking management of this area.”
Parking pressure across the wider Birtinya precinct has meanwhile remained contentious.
In July, Sunshine Coast News reported council had completed parking surveys across Birtinya following concerns from residents about hospital staff and visitors parking in surrounding streets.
However, people also said hospital staff should not be facing significant parking costs at their workplace.
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At the time, a council spokesperson said the surveys were intended to identify areas experiencing the greatest parking pressure, with recommendations to be developed after the results were analysed.
Stockland has until November 17 to respond to council’s information request and declined to comment while the development application remains under assessment.
