Parkers may be allowed more time in side street

Time extensions are in the wind for free car parking in Belvedere Rd, Carterton.

The Wairarapa Times-Age last month drew attention to the complaints of several business owners about the present one-hour time limits on free parking in the side street.

Leia Cooper, owner of Headquarters Hair & Beauty on the corner of High St and Belvedere Rd, told the newspaper three of her workers had been each hit with $40 fines for exceeding limits.

Crystal Thompson, Wild Oats bakery and cafe manager, said two workers from the cafe, which is located across the road from the beauty salon, also received tickets for similar offences on the same day.

Peter Morton, partner in Belvedere Rd accountancy firm Herbert Morton, said the one-hour limit was "crazy". He agreed with Ms Cooper and Ms Thompson that customers needed more than an hour to conclude their business.

Carterton district did not have parking meters and the one-hour limit on Belvedere Rd ran both sides of the street, from the High St roundabout to Masson St, while parking spaces in High St had 90-minute limits.

Milan Hautler, Carterton District Council planning and regulatory manager, earlier said the parking time limits had been in force since 2006.

He had earlier this month fielded a letter from the Carterton District Business Incorporated group, requesting an extension of the parking time on Belvedere Rd from 60 to 90 minutes, which would bring the limit into line with parking on the main street.

Mr Hautler also recommended the council amend the penalties for parking breaches from the present $40 flat fine to a schedule of fines ranging from $12 for a breach of less than 30 minutes to $57 for a breach of six hours or more.

Councillors will consider the amendments on Wednesday at their next monthly meeting