Parking mad at city fees rise proposal

The cost of parking in Auckland city's biggest council carparks is set to rise to $5 an hour despite the council already making millions in parking profits a year.

The council is proposing fee hikes at the Downtown, Civic and Victoria carparks from $4.50 an hour to $5 an hour in response to rising rates and building costs.

However, central business district lobby group, Heart of Auckland, is opposing the move, saying the council should be providing carparks as a service to motorists, not as a money-making venture.

"We are opposing the pay rise because those carparks have been paid for by CBD shoppers," said Heart of Auckland chief executive Alex Swney.

"People feel trapped because there's not a viable public transport alternative. We would have no argument with market rates if people could take public transport that was frequent and affordable."

Auckland Mayor Dick Hubbard refused to be drawn on whether council parking charges were too high. But he planned to meet Mr Swney next week to discuss the issue.

The manager of the council unit that runs theparking buildings, Rex De Lille, said the hikes were needed because costs were rising. Rates had also risen and wages and service fees were spiraling, he said.

"We're still well below the market charges, which are around $8 an hour in the CBD."

The parking unit, he said, had decided to lift prices gradually.

However, World clothing store owner Francis Hooper was critical of the planned rise, saying the carparks were owned by ratepayers and yet were "cash cows".

- THE HERALD ON SUNDAY