Ninety-three per cent of CBD and CBD fringe businesses are opposed to the Brisbane City Council’s proposed $400 car parking levy, and a staggering 65 per cent would opt to relocate rather than pay, a survey conducted by the Property Council of Australia has revealed.
The Property Council recently conducted an e-poll survey across businesses in the Brisbane CBD and fringe areas to ascertain the public’s reaction to a $400-per-bay car parking levy proposed in the Brisbane City Council’s
Transport Plan for Brisbane 2002-2016 released in September.
The survey results to date from 400 businesses also showed that 97 per cent believed the levy would be increased within the next five years, and 90 per cent believed the levy would make it more difficult for their employees to travel into the city.
Property Council Queensland executive director Robert Walker said that these results showed how negatively the proposed tax had been received by the public.
"These results showed the true impact of the Council’s proposed tax," he said. "We have had over 400 responses to date on this survey, and when you consider that 65 per cent of those would consider relocating their business and 98 per cent believe it would increase over the next five years, the effects will be disastrous for the economic and retail hub of Queensland."
The Property Council has been strong in its opposition to the proposed levy, and believes that it would increase the cost for those who require their cars for work-related purposes and would "achieve little in the way of travel demand management".
"Surely the Lord Mayor must sit up and take notice of the vehement opposition to this proposal," Mr Walker said.
"The Council can’t ignore these figures. The introduction of the levy will be the beginning of the end for the Brisbane CBD."
