AFTER manually timing families, the elderly and the sick going back and forth from the Rockhampton Airport terminal to their cars, Cr Neil Fisher has finally succeeded in his campaign to lengthen the airport's grace period.  

The chairman of council's Business Enterprise Committee fought for it to be changed to 30 minutes, but council officers advised council would lose $63,000 in revenue in one year alone.  

Councillors agreed to change the time to 20 minutes. 

About 72% of motorists have been able to leave the car park within the original 15 minutes, but Cr Fisher said it was a battle for many people to make that time and they were forced to pay at least $2.

Cr Fisher said he had experienced first-hand how difficult it was to get to the terminal and back to the car in time with young children and strollers in tow.

He said he had also received complaints from users of the car park who were either ill or elderly and had difficulty making the free parking time limit.

A survey of users found most people wanted free parking increased by a few minutes in line with Brisbane Airport.

Users also complained the car park was not designed for large four-wheel drive mining vehicles.

Councillors congratulated Cr Fisher for his determination to lengthen the grace period and for timing users of the car park.  

The time was changed to 20 minutes, not 30 as reported in today's paper.