You’ll soon have to pay at park at Griffith Regional Airport. Photo: Griffith City Council.
Griffith Council has voted in favour of introducing paid parking at its airport.
At a recent closed council session (meaning media and the public were not allowed to view the debate), Councillors Shari Blumer and Christine Stead moved that council appoint tech company SKIDATA to supply and install Licence Plate Recognition (LTR) ticketless paid parking system at the airport for a cost of $118,216 plus GST.
The motion was passed seven votes to two, with only Scott Groat and Anne Napoli voting against it.
In a media released issued on Tuesday (26 August), Griffith Mayor Doug Curran said the new system was necessary to respond to increased demand at the airport car park.
“On a typical weekday morning, more than 230 vehicles are parked at the aerodrome, well above the 158 spaces formally available to the public. Cars overstaying, unmarked parking and lack of distinction between short and long-term parking have led to congestion and safety concerns,” he said.
Under the new system, motorists entering the airport don’t need to collect a paper ticket. A camera reads their licence plate and determines how much is owed when the car is leaving. The driver pays the fee with a card but can’t pay with cash.
Parking at the airport is currently free and unlimited. Future parking fees are not yet known but will be considered at by a council-run Airport Committee, who will recommend a fee structure.
It is expected the new paid parking system will be operational before June 2026.
Council says the new system will differentiate between short and long-term parking and generate funds for future improvements at the airport.
Graeme Cotton, who was a candidate in last year’s council election, said the introduction of fees must be matched by a higher level of service to justify the cost.
“That could mean a pop-up café, improved parking conditions, better lighting and shade, or even flights to Melbourne and enhanced security,” he said.
“More broadly, council and the [business] chamber should be advocating for the airport’s longevity and growth – just as we do for essential services like water.
“Why not explore expanding the tarmac to handle larger planes that could transport our region’s produce directly to Queensland and beyond to overseas markets? That would help grow existing industries and attract new ones to Griffith.”
In 2023, Griffith Council told the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal, the NSW Government body that regulates council rates, that it was considering introducing paid parking at its airport.
At the time, the council was applying for a special rate variation to substantially increase rates, arguing that its costs were growing faster than its revenue and it was struggling to remain financially secure. As part of its application, it had to demonstrate that it was exploring options to increase its revenue base.
Griffith Business Chamber president John Nikolic said the chamber had previously provided in-principle support for airport paid parking in the context of the special rate variation, as a user-pays model for council services that reduced reliance on rates.
“However, as far as we understand, council has not yet determined its model for airport paid parking, in terms of proposed fees and the basis on which they would be paid,” he said.
“We look forward to council consulting with the community on those issues once they have been determined, at which point the chamber may make a submission to council.”
Businesswoman Sarah Armstrong was less sympathetic.
“We are already disadvantaged when a price for a return flight from Griffith is the same as if not more expensive than one to Asia or NZ,” she said.
“Slug parking fees on top of that? You could avoid if you are in town or have relatives to drop you but if you coming from out of town you’ve got no choice but to pay.
“And It’s not like the parking is undercover or you get a free car wash with it.”
What do you think of paid parking at Griffith airport? Drop us a line at [email protected] or call 0498843181 if you’d like to express your views.
