Pay parking permits for Byron Shire residents will now be reduced from $55 to $30, after councillors haggled over the final number between themselves at Monday’s meeting, the last before the winter break.
Pensioners and the holders of Centrelink and student concession cards will be exempt from the permit fees.
Also adopted were a raft of documents that outline funding and works programs.
Before the meeting began at 3pm, the Brunswick Heads Chamber of Commerce had assembled its members to again send a clear message – that pay parking was negatively impacting their town.
800-strong petition
A petition with more than 800 signatures was presented to Cr David Warth, which highlighted a range of concerns.
They included a ‘lack of equity across the Shire (with towns like Mullumbimby and Bangalow still unmetered); negative impacts on small businesses; and poor road and infrastructure conditions that make the new fees feel unjustified’.
The issue has been a slow burner for some time, and heated up after Cr Jack Dods and Greens Mayor Sarah Ndiaye had the numbers and backed Council staff’s recommendation to bring the fee back at the May 8 meeting.
During Monday’s debate, councillors at times bickered around the impacts to both residents and Council finances.
Bickering councillors
At one point, Cr Asren Pugh was asked by Mayor Sarah Ndiaye to tone down his speech after he started to raise his voice. He said it was his ‘passion’ for the topic.
Meanwhile, Cr Jack Dods and former mayor, Michael Lyon, argued bitterly, with Cr Dods supporting the fee to pay for Council projects, while Cr Lyon argued the impost on residents was unfair.
As mayor, Cr Lyon abolished the fees in an attempt to appease those impacted by the introduction of parking meters in Brunswick Heads.
Deals cut
Debate then led to Cr Lyon trying to cut a deal with other councillors about how much to charge residents for the permit, to which Cr Dods said it was irresponsible for Council to be doing deals on the floor of the chamber. Cr Elia Hague later agreed.
Cr Pugh said at one point that a $25 fee would not cover Council’s admin fees.
The debate lasted more than an hour.
In the end, those who voted in favour of the $30 permit fee were Crs Lyon, Lowe, Hague, Dods, Warth and Ndiaye. Against were Labor Crs Swain and Pugh.
‘Residents were only willing to tolerate meters in Brunswick Heads because Council promised two free permits,’ said Jo, a spokesperson for the Chamber. ‘Breaking that promise now, during a cost-of-living crisis, is not only unfair, it’s damaging to our town and our businesses.’
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