Transport Minister Simeon Brown goes in to bat with Mayor Wayne Brown over parking charges in Auckland CBD

Transport Minister Simeon Brown agrees with Mayor Wayne Brown about the need for greater accountability for Auckland Transport. Photo / Michael Craig

Transport Minister Simeon Brown has waded into the debate on new 24-hour parking charges in the Auckland CBD, saying he agrees with Mayor Wayne Brown that Auckland Transport needs greater accountability.

Auckland Transport (AT) has announced from July 1, CBD residents and visitors will face new charges overnight, at weekends and on public holidays to collect more money.

The new overnight charge will be $2-$3 an hour, depending on the inner-city zone.

This morning, Simeon Brown said AT and Auckland Council are responsible for making decisions on the charges.

“But as the mayor said, and I tend to agree with him, there does need to be greater accountability over Auckland Transport, and we are working through some potential options of what that might look like.

“When you are trying to get more people to come into the city at night-time, it [the charges] clearly rubs against that.”

The new fee regime blindsided Wayne Brown: “Nor did I”, he said when the Herald on Sunday told him residents had said they had no idea the changes were coming until a letter dated May 2 arrived in their letterboxes on Friday.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said Auckland Transport needs to "start listening". Photo / Dean Purcell

“And I’m sick of it. [Auckland Transport] have got to start listening... I did tell them the other day, ‘Don’t do that, I want a full parking strategy’.”

On RNZ this morning, AT chief executive Dean Kimpton disputed Brown was blindsided, saying he rang and talked to the mayor about it on April 29, and the plans had been “out there” since April 23 as part of AT’s parking strategy.

The minister was speaking in Papakura, launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country.

Hospitality New Zealand chief executive Steve Armitage yesterday said he had significant concerns for hospitality workers from restaurants, bars and nightclubs who rely on cheap and safe inner-city parking options while at work.

“My main concern is for the workforce, we want to retain workers in these areas and reduce any pressures for them.”

Armitage said the workers were often young and had limited safe or reliable transport options because public transport was harder to navigate early in the morning.

These hospitality workers will have to budget for the increased parking charges amid the Government’s removal of half-priced public transport fares.

Auckland Transport has revealed plans to charge for parking in the CBD 24 hours a day and on weekends and public holidays. Source: Auckland Transport

In a letter to residents, AT said it had been told to take a “more commercial approach” to managing public assets to reduce the burden on ratepayers.

Providing free, unrestricted on-street parking in the evening and overnight also undercut private carparks, AT said.

“This [change] lines up with the concept that the storage of private asset [sic] such as vehicles on public road reserve should not be free.”

An AT spokesman yesterday cleared up some concerns facing Wynyard Quarter businesses, which are already under pressure from the temporary closure of the crossing bridge.

“We are looking at delaying the introduction of the charges in the Wynyard Quarter area until the bridge is repaired and operating again.”