April 13, 2020
Shoppers looking for parking spots in Kingaroy are set to become an early casualty of the Kingaroy Transformation Project (KTP) … at least for the next few years.
At April’s Infrastructure standing committee meeting, Councillors learned that 91 of the central business district’s current 652 car parking spaces would be gone by the time the project was completed in July 2022.
Most of the car parks are being eliminated due to regulatory requirements, KTP Project Manager Alan Christensen told the meeting.
Moving the dangerous Haly Street pedestrian crossing further along the street to improve pedestrian safety would require 12 car parks to be sacrificed to conform with DTMR regulations.
Another eight car parking spaces would be eliminated further along the same street near a second crossing for similar reasons.
southburnett.com.au also understands the introduction of a network of disabled car parking spaces throughout the CBD – which are larger than ordinary car parking spaces – will also require the sacrifice of other parking spots.
Mr Christensen said during construction, shoppers would be encouraged to use the George Street area behind Haly Street’s shops for parking.
George Street has been touted as the site of a future sealed Council car park but is not included in the current KTP Project.
However, Mr Christensen said reclaimed materials from the KTP were already being set aside for a George Street car park.
Mayor Brett Otto said he was keen to see the George Street car park discussed at future Council meetings, and suggested Councillors might like to consider using Council’s capital works budget to fund it.
“We do know that our locals like to park close to their shops,” Mayor Otto said.
As a ratepayer and long time resident of the SBRC area I can see the transformation project a disaster for the local businesses who front onto the streets involved in the massive project.
Parking is a priority for all involved. Walking further is great for our fitness BUT time is also valuable to humans and expectations of walking further I believe will not balance out between finding that quick carpark space to dash in and do trade and no parks available so will give it a miss.
I know what the majority of folk will do… keep driving!
Business owners you have a real battle ahead. Parking is so much more valuable than pretty landscapes.
CBD needs a revamp, no arguing on that subject, BUT sense and practicality should also be a huge factor.
The lifetime resident has hit the nail on the head. No need for my repetition.
All of this time, effort and expense just to “beautify” the CBD is ridiculous. My car doesn’t need a more pretty place to park while I shop.
The money spent on this project would have been better spent revamping and improving the local pool, which it is in desperate need of.
So SBRC want to pretty up Kingaroy. Do they not know that there are other areas and towns in their region that desperately need upkeep not revamping. I’m so sick of being the poor cousin to Kingaroy.
Yet not a single cent spent once again keeping the youth occupied instead of them turning to drugs for something to do. Well done council
I think the benefits it will bring outweigh the costs. It will be a nice place to be rather than just a footpath. Plenty of other parking nearby.
How ridiculous. I now drive around and around the street trying to get a close parking spot to the business I need to visit. Another example is when the disabled parks were moved from outside the public toilets to across the drive – just making it more difficult. I agree entirely with Lifetime Resident
I think this is a fantastic idea. The CBD is long overdue for a revamp. It’s a small town so it doesn’t take long to walk anywhere. I lived in Brisbane for 17 years so perhaps I am used to searching for parking spaces (which I had to often pay for) and walking. I have now been in Kingaroy for almost 17 years and find that by walking I actually take notice of businesses I may not otherwise see. I’m looking forward to the upgrades. Anything that will encourage both locals and visitors to spend time in Kingaroy.
Considering it was often requested to close Kingaroy St to vehicles and make it a pedestrian-only zone, this is a good outcome.
After all, it’s the community that asked for safer pedestrian crossings and more disabled car spaces. This plan is a good balance. Long overdue, just wish we could fast forward 10yrs to enjoy the big trees sooner!
Just saying, I cannot understand why you would have to lose 12 parking lots to relocate a pedestrian crossing? Could they please explain.
I don’t believe the Haly Street pedestrian crossing itself is dangerous, it is the pedestrians and motorists who make it so. All that’s needed is due care, consideration and common sense (the latter not being so common these days!).
Bloody brilliant, about time the stale old streets of Kingaroy is dragged out of the “Joh rut” and into the modern times, besides a little extra walk can do us all good. Can’t wait to see what’s going to be done to the daggy old shops in k/roy st “if ever”. However, well done SBRC.
I think it is great to see investment in the presentation of Kingaroy. Times change and that means for Kingaroy to be an attractive place for people to relocate and invest in, then it needs to change. This is just one step in making the town a more liveable place. Why shouldn’t Kingaroy have attractive spaces for residents?
More to be done? Absolutely. Other areas/issues that need attention? Definately.
At least the SBRC is doing something with the hope of bringing change to the town.
We believe the loss of parking spaces around pedestrian crossings is caused by the need to comply with DTMR design rules (which have been upgraded since many of Kingaroy’s original pedestrian crossings were installed). DTMR now specifies that “crossings must be clear of parked vehicles and adequate sight distance must be provided to the pedestrian crossing. This may require banning parking for some distance on each side of the crossing, the distance being determined for each case to ensure that parked vehicles will not obscure the required sight lines.” You can read all the design rules that now apply to pedestrian crossings in Chapter 5 on this page: https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/business-industry/Technical-standards-publications/Road-planning-and-design-manual
There’s a simple solution. Don’t move the zebra crossing in Haly Street! The danger comes from vehicles turning across it from Glendon Street or into Glendon Street.
Instead, close off Glendon Street, make it a dead-end with a nice area to turn around in at the end. This calms the traffic, still allows access to the Commercial Hotel drive-thru and the Council’s rear car park but shuts off all through traffic.
Council wants to make Glendon Street a pedestrian friendly area. This would do it very cheaply.