By Susie Cunningham 

COUNCIL is looking at ways to address ongoing concerns about parking in Boonah, recently adopting the draft Boonah Town Centre Parking Study 2011.

The Scenic Rim Regional Council’s draft study, which is open for community consultation, draws on submissions from the business community and provides recommendations for how to improve the situation.

Four recommendations are made in the document, including two hour and four hour time restricted parking in the centre of town, ways of encouraging compliance with time restrictions, improvements to council owned off-street parking and a review of parking for people with disabilities.

Local shoppers and business representatives have raised concerns about a recommendation that council encourage compliance with time restrictions by investigating the use of Volunteers in Policing (VIP) to undertake parking surveillance and issue reminders about parking restrictions.

Both the Boonah Chamber of Commerce and the Boonah Butchery, who made submissions to council for the report, said they had concerns about the suggested approach.

Chamber president Adrian Stephan said while he believed the volunteer approach could work in principle, it could have social ramifications in the small town and was not necessarily the answer.

Mr Stephan moved to dispel concerns raised by recent media reports about “dobbing in” car park offenders.

“It’s not about dobbing in a mate,” he said.

“We’ve just got to find a way of making it work, and as a community we will go through the issue and develop a long term plan.”

Boonah Butchery owner Tanya Zervis (pictured), who submitted a survey of customers to council identifying parking related issues in Boonah, said she also had doubts about the controversial recommendation.

“The simple fact is it’s a small country town and everyone knows everyone else,” she said.

“Are people going to dob in their mates, and is it going to create conflict?”

Mayor John Brent said while he understood the VIP concept was controversial he believed self-regulation could help council enforce two hour and four hour parking restrictions.

“This is about taking action, if required, with those who exceed normal utilisation of parking in the CBD,” he said.

“We’re not about creating angst in the community.

“We do want it to continue being a friendly parking area.”

Community consultation closes January 31, 2012.

To view the draft study visit www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/have- your-say.