In today’s headlines with Chereè Kinnear high schools defy ministry orders, Darlene Tana’s future in Parliament and why more Kiwi couples are opting to elope.
Hastings District Council has turned the key in the ignition of its new fine-sweeper, with a promise that it will catch you if you’ve been in a parking space too long.
Advanced technology has been installed onto the roof and rear of a hybrid council car, including a Mobile Licence Plate Recognition (MLPR) system and cameras that can see in the dark.
The car even has a camera that snaps photos of the tyres of parked vehicles, to effectively replace the old chalking technique.
The designated vehicle will now take to the streets of Havelock North and Hastings with a driver behind the wheel every day, staff permitting, council regulatory solutions manager John Payne said.
The $73,000 spent by the council on the system - which has been paid out of parking income rather than rates - covers the operating system, the hardware and software, and the set-up and training.
Payne said the change was necessary because of an increased amount of abuse towards staff, making it “challenging to find individuals willing to take on the role of parking wardens”.
The car doesn’t completely replace the wardens. Parking wardens will still work in conjunction with it.
The new system will issue a ticket if an offence is committed in a metered and timed area.
A parking warden will then be notified and issue an infringement notice, and an infringement notice is then also mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner.
Hastings District Council's new Mobile Licence Plate Recognition (MLPR) system used to issue parking offences. Photo / Paul Taylor
Photos of the wheels of the parked vehicle are reviewed by officers to determine if the vehicle has moved or not, while the licence plate identifies the offending vehicle.
The council said an administrative officer then reviewed the data to confirm an offence before the infringement is processed and a motor vehicle check was also undertaken with the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).
The technology in the cameras allows for accurate reading of licence plates in low light, even in “pitch-black darkness”, the council says.
The Hastings District Council car will read the license plate and wheel position. Photo / Paul Taylor
Payne said the vehicle would not compromise the privacy of individuals.
“The mobile license plate system does not capture images of people.”
All current parking time limits would remain the same – and areas where there were no parking controls would remain the same, he said.
Payne said Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga were currently using Mobile License Plate Recognition technology.
He saw the vehicle as a long-term solution to parking monitoring.
“It is more effective and efficient, reducing the health and safety exposure to team members.”
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay newsrooms. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.
