Taking The Politics Out of Footpaths

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman is taking the politics out of footpaths by putting councillors in charge of footpath funding for their local area.

At least $23 million will be allocated to footpaths over the next 12 months – about $8 million more than this year – with the additional revenue to be funded from increased fines.

Council currently spends about $14.2 million on footpaths, including $1 million for new footpaths each year.

The Lord Mayor has spent $55 million on footpaths since his election five years ago, compared to $42 million spent on footpaths under the last five years of Labor.

However the Labor Opposition has been critical of Council’s footpath spending, despite Labor spending only about $6 million a year in the years before the 2004 election.

The Lord Mayor said Council would embark on a significant program of maintaining existing footpaths and building new footpaths across Brisbane.

It would be funded by increased fines for motorists who caused traffic congestion, parked illegally in disabled spaces, or threatened public safety. Funds would go to a ward trust.

Existing $50 fines for not paying a parking meter, or for overstaying a parking limit, or not displaying a parking receipt, would not change.

The new fines would target motorists who:

• Parked or stopped in places that caused traffic congestion
• Parked or stopped in places that impeded public safety
• Took disabled car parking spaces without authority

Most safety related fines would increase from $100 to $150.

The penalty for flouting disabled parking laws will increase from $60 to $200.

The Lord Mayor said motorists were sick and tired of being stuck behind drivers who caused traffic congestion by pulling up on the yellow ‘no stopping’ lines, or parking in clearways.

“We need to keep our traffic moving and just one inconsiderate driver can bring traffic to a grinding halt through selfish actions,” he said.

“Not all fines are going up. This fine increase purely targets safety and traffic congestion offences. Brisbane residents should not have to accept the traffic congestion and inconvenience caused by people who won’t obey the rules.”

[Ends] June 17, 2009