Weekend shoppers will be slugged with parking fees at Westfield Chermside, despite earlier claims the move was a way to stop commuters using the shopping centre as a public transport park-and-ride.
The retail group's decision to charge on weekends comes on the back of a warning from the National Retailers Association that more shopping centres around the state will introduce paid parking as the state continues to grow.
Despite the backlash against Westfield's decision to introduce fees for shoppers who stay longer than three hours, company spokeswoman Julia Clarke said the proposed system would be operating every day of the week.
"Certainly commuters are part of the issue with the parking but because we know that 93 per cent of shoppers get their trips done in under three hours there are still people weekdays and weekends who are there for longer for three hours for whatever reason," she said.
"So we know that there are going to be some people who will shopping for longer than three hours but those fees will be quite nominal, only a few dollars."
In another concern for shoppers, NRA executive director Gary Black said he expected more shopping centres in Queensland to enforce paid parking as the state's population continues to grow.
"Progressively, with population growth the stress on the parking facilities is increasing and spaces are less freely available so centres I think have had to respond to this and I think it is totally legitimate to focus their actions on people who are using these parking facilities who have no intention of shopping," he said.
"Ultimately this is a supply and demand issue and where there are restraints on expanding car park facilities it's inevitable that shopping centres will take measures to ensure that people are parking in their centres with the intention of shopping there."
Mr Black said shopping centres would not implement measures that would deter shoppers from using their facilities and affect their profitability.
Ms Clarke said there were no confirmed plans to extend paid parking to other Westfield centres around Brisbane.
