As part of the new upgrade of Pacific Fair they have introduced paid parking. Parking for 3hrs begins at $5 and increases by $3-4 every half hour, maxing out at $45 for a day. This means that if you wish to do some shopping, go see a movie, or have lunch with a friend it is very likely you will exceed that time frame and be penalised. Pacific Fair shopping center already makes a fortune from the rent of the shops within it. This is a money making scheme that disadvantages the public; holding no justification other than greed. Enabling this attitude opens up the opportunity for it to become even more expensive in the future, and for other centres, such as Robina, to follow their lead. This is very poor business ethic. 

To add to this, a woman has now been tragically killed by the boom gates at Pacific Fair. The woman was inserting her ticket into the booth on her way out and accidentally put her foot down on the accelerator, ramming into the boom gate, and suffering from cardiac arrest due to the incident. The introduction of paid parking to create revenue for the centre has resulted in the capability for this tragic accident to occur. These machines have no signage about the dangers of hanging out the side of your car window whilst it is running, and do not state anything about putting your hand break on. This is a massive safety hazard when operating a motor vehicle, as the booth is an awkward length from the car, and a person should not be multi tasking while in a running car. It is not acceptable to sit on your phone at traffic lights, yet this far more distracting task is supposedly okay, and has resulted in this woman's death. 

By signing this petition you support the removal of paid parking, and the freedom to shop and use these resources at your leisure, and as a customer, be respected by not having Pacific Fair wring every last drop of money out of you even though you are supporting their business by utilising their centre. You support the safety of our community and elderly from dealing with the danger of focusing on two demanding tasks whilst operating a motor vehicle. You support not waiting in tedious lineups to leave the shopping centre that you have already supported by shopping in. Having shoppers is what keeps the shopping center functioning and running, as it is a business relying on its customers. This is a simple concept of Supply and Demand: if you refuse to shop at centres that charge you to park, then this will not continue. As customers we should be valued, and not forced to pay a fee. Sign if you agree and avoid this centre!