Changes to Birtinya's parking permit

Sunshine Coast Council will conclude its trial of residential parking permits in Birtinya after an audit identified low use of permits being used on the streets during the trial period.

The trial was introduced by council in June 2017 to help better understand the impacts the newly opened Sunshine Coast University Hospital is having on parking in the nearby residential area.

During the trial period, council waived the parking permit application fee for residents in the Birtinya Regulated Parking Area, as well as the local law requirement for permits only to be issued to vehicles registered to the address, allowing residents to apply for two parking permits, a residential permit and a visitor parking permit.

Division 3 Cr Peter Cox said that following a review of the trial, council had elected to revert to the local law that allows each resident with a vehicle registered to that residence to apply for a parking permit that will allow them to exceed time limits in their street.

“This actually allows some households to have more permits than what was being offered under the trial,” Cr Cox said.

“The use of the free residential and visitor parking permits that we trialled was very low – around 2.1% of total vehicles parking in the area during the trial had a residential or visitor permit.

“The basis for the trial was that residents believed having one-hour parking time limits in their street due to the hospital was going to be a problem if they had visitors or tradespeople at their property.

“In Birtinya, the one-hour parking limits in the residential streets have been very successful in reducing long-term parking.

“In addition, Council will further investigate ways in which other local governments manage residential parking permits.”Existing permits issued during the trial will be valid until December 1.

Residents will then receive an invitation to renew their permit through to June 30, 2019. Permit fees will be waived until June 30, 2019.

For more information on parking across the Sunshine Coast, visit the Parking webpage on council’s website.