Coffs CBD has a critical lack of parking

DEAR News Of The Area,

THE future of the Coffs Harbour CBD hangs in the balance, and without immediate, strategic action on parking and traffic congestion, we risk watching our local business district completely wither away.

The primary issue plaguing our town centre is the critical lack of parking. The continued choking of vehicular traffic is already causing severe congestion, and it will eventually lead to a total collapse in trade for our local businesses—a decline we are already starting to witness. If shoppers cannot find easy, accessible parking, they will simply continue to drift away from the CBD towards larger shopping hubs like Park Beach Plaza, Toormina, and other regional shopping areas.

To reverse this trend, we need bold planning initiatives implemented over the next three to five years.

First, the high-traffic stretch from Harbour Drive to the Pacific Highway and Gordon Street should be completely blocked off and converted into a dedicated pedestrian mall, removing all standard parking except for vital, selected spots for disabled persons.

We can look to successful regional examples like Maitland to see how pedestrianisation can breathe new life into a city centre.

Of course, closing these streets requires an immediate alternative.

The city urgently needs to construct two to three multi-story parking stations within 1000 metres of the CBD proper.

To connect these hubs, we should introduce small, tram-like transit vehicles to shuttle people seamlessly around the Greater CBD and to and from the parking stations.

This infrastructure would actively encourage foot traffic, making the area vibrant and accessible.

This planning is especially critical given the major high-rise developments currently targeted for the CBD.

Council cannot continue to allow commercial and retail spaces to be sacrificed for purely residential or corporate buildings.

A CBD without active storefronts and services loses its entire purpose; without them, why would anyone want to live or work here, other than to line the pockets of property developers?

While it once seemed unthinkable that major shopping precincts could become unviable, the recent wave of commercial collapses in the United States proves that no town centre is immune.

If we do not act, the fate of our CBD may be a forced, costly relocation.

We must also ensure our growing residential footprint serves the community.

In discussing the major high-rise plans for the Gordon Street Uniting Church site, I completely agree with Councillor Tony Judge that roughly half of the available residential floors should be dedicated permanently to affordable housing. Many of the residents requiring this supported housing do not own private vehicles and would thrive in a highly connected, pedestrian-friendly CBD serviced by a local tram loop.

We are at a crossroads.

Council must accelerate its strategic parking and transport planning before our CBD is reduced to an unviable ghost town.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Hardy,

Coffs Harbour.