Inverell Shire Council will investigate the need for CBD loading zones as their absence highlights the dilemma of competing local business interests.
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A survey of Otho and Byron Street business operators, conducted by Inverell delivery service Combined Freight, found the majority preferred parcel deliveries to be made via their front entrance, despite rear lanes offering ready access to their back doors.
Co-owner of Combined Freight, Tim Ellison, said he believed some businesses found front door deliveries more convenient as staff didn’t have to leave shop floors and customers unattended, which in turn meant better security. Staff shortages reinforced the preference while also causing delays in answering rear delivery bells.
The result, Mr Ellison explained, was a difficult situation for delivery operators.
“We get paid on average $2 to $2.50 a parcel and have to deliver a considerable amount of parcels in a limited amount of time,” he said.
“We can’t afford to be held up waiting for someone to come to the back door.”
Mr Ellison wants loading zones on Inverell’s main streets to facilitate the speed of deliveries; to help drivers avoid parking illegally; and to ensure delivery vehicles are parked well clear of the moving traffic lanes.
By contrast, Anthony Michael, who owns and operates newsagencies on Otho and Byron Streets said he is concerned that loading zones will take away “good parking” spaces for customers.
“[Inverell] attracts a lot of shoppers from out of town and one of the attractions is easy parking,” he said.
Responding to Mr Ellison’s suggestion that loading zone times could be limited to parking between certain hours only, such as 11am to 2pm weekdays, Mr Michael said that people’s tendency to not read signs properly meant they still wouldn’t use the spaces “because it’s been classed as a loading zone”.
He suggested instead putting a loading zone at the top of lane ways where they enter directly onto a main street.
During a discussion of loading zones at a council meeting last week, Cr Paul King, noted the question of whether or not Inverell should have parking spaces has been a recurring since at least the 1990s.
It remains to be seen whether the launch of council’s latest investigation will eventually crack the old chestnut.
