By JONATHON HOWARD
TENTERFIELD’S Main Street beautification plan should be abandoned and the focus should instead shift towards parking improvements to boost local businesses, says concerned local Robert Walker.
Mr Walker said a recent survey of Rouse St businesses found that the need for more walk-in customers was the priority as many business owners feared further drops to local trade.
One way to ensure a customer increase was to increase both the availability of car parking and complement this with parking signage – which Tenterfield severely lacks.
However, Tenterfield Shire Council’s estimated $1.3 million to improve Rouse St would instead remove an estimated 16 car parks.
Mr Walker said there was no parking signage on either the northern or southern approaches into Tenterfield and the loss of more car parks would be a step backwards.
“Visitors are forced to continue through town or attempt to park in Rouse Street with other vehicles and/or huge trucks tailgating them,” he said.
“They dare not stop and many were now simply passing through.”
Mr Walker was now calling on Tenterfield Shire Council to defer the beautification project as a matter of prudency and to ensure a greater focus on local businesses.
“Signage advising travellers of the availability of free four-hour parking accessible on the west side of Rouse St via Manners or Miles streets must be provided immediately,” he said.
“Council has allocated a reported $340,000 for the first stage of the beautification project. This should be applied instead to the creation and upgrading of the Whereat Lane parking area.”
The council has applied for a loan to complete the beautification project of Rouse St, for $1.3 million over 25 years repayable by 25 annual installments. Therefore the estimated total repayments would be $3.3 million by 25 annual payments of $132,000 each.
Mr Walker said council should defer any borrowings.
“If the budget has problems, like now, council need to look at their own operating efficiencies first or government grants,” he said.
“If this does not prove effective then they have to cut services.
“In circumstances where council rate income is not increasing to any great degree, like here in Tenterfield, any loans that council incurs will necessitate new loans to pay for the old ones or rate hikes like the 53 per cent over four years that has now been announced,” he said.
Mr Walker said he would now convene a public meeting if sufficient interest was indicated in these matters.
Tenterfield Shire Council CEO Lotta Jackson was contacted for comment but was unable to reply by the print deadline.
