It’s parking hell

| Isabella Guzman Gonzalez

A DISABLED pensioner with chronic health conditions has launched a campaign for better and more parking close to Cairns Hospital, especially for patients with mobility problems.

After being fined for illegal parking during an emergency, Manunda resident Raymond Gaffney is asking Cairns Regional Council for better allocation of disability parking bays in and around the hospital.

The 84-year-old is a regular hospital visitor and can’t walk more than 20m unaided. He also suffers chronic bladder issues that create an uncontrollable urgency.

Mr Gaffney said attending his appointments had become a hellish experience due to the lack of parking.

On May 11, he looked for a parking space on the Esplanade for over 30 minutes when urgency hit. Fearing he would soil himself, he parked illegally and rushed to find a toilet. He was fined.

“The spot where I usually park was full, so I parked behind it, approximately a foot away from the footpath on the yellow line,” he said. “I expected to get a parking ticket, but the Commonwealth law has a fundamental basis of intent. If you don’t intend to commit an offence contrary to the rules, there’s no offence.

“There was no intent on my part to commit an offence. I intended to get to a toilet and get to my appointment.”

Mr Gaffney emailed the hospital, the council, councillors, and other organisations to fight the ticket, warning that he would escalate it to the High Court.

“Whatever they said, it’s a hospital,” he said.

“All those spaces right at the front of block B should be dis-

Healthy fig tree in spotlight

l CAIRNS CBD

| Nick Dalton

A MUCH-loved fig tree in the centre of Cairns has been saved. Works to rejuvenate the site around a tree at the heritage-listed Cairns City Library site have been completed.

The large fig tree located on Lake St at the rear of the City Library site, referred to as T5, had been fenced off and was facing possible removal after years of decline.

However, following Cairns Regional Council’s successful flying fox relocation program in 2020, the tree showed marked signs of recovery, allowing it to be retained.

As part of the process, council officers met Cairns and Far North Environment Centre (CAFNEC) representatives to discuss options and measures to protect and support the tree.

Deputy Mayor Terry James said the completion of the rejuvenation works had created a safe and appealing space around the tree.

ability designated parking.

“There is not enough provision of disability parking for acutely disabled people who need to be as close to the service as they can.”

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“Just three years ago the tree looked sick, and the site could not be used by the public due to safety concerns related to the possibility of falling branches,” he said.

Cr James said today it was healthier, with a new fence around the tree for safety and landscaping works.