Whanganui district councillors vote unanimously for more CBD parking meters and higher charges

The changes will come into effect on July 1. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui district councillors have approved 14 new parking meters and higher parking fees across the CBD.

On Victoria Ave, charges will increase from $2 to $3 per hour, with parking on CBD side streets and off-street parks now $2.

Previously, it had been 50 cents (off-street) or $1 (side street).

Public consultation on the council’s new parking bylaw ran parallel to that on the council’s long-term plan from April 2 to May 2.

Council research and policy adviser Tamsin Eggleton said there were 601 submissions, up from the 27 received when the parking bylaw was last up for review in 2017.

The majority of submitters - 54 per cent - supported increasing Victoria Ave tariffs and adding the new meters.

Increasing side street and off-street parking to $2 was closer, with 44 per cent in support and 47 per cent against.

Eggleton said the tariff increases had been factored into the council’s next long-term plan budget.

“These changes were intended to improve parking turnover, as well as offset anticipated rates rises,” she said.

Other updates to the bylaw are expansion of the SuperGold card parking scheme to Saturdays (8-11am), Ucol students having three hours’ free parking on Taupō Quay, and the addition of three more mobility parking spaces to the town centre.

Council rental park prices will increase from $20 to $30 a week.

Councillor Rob Vinsen said he was surprised “such a controversial subject” had been met with widespread approval from the public.

He said surplus money from parking had, in the past, been ring-fenced for costs such as new parking areas and replacement meters.

Whanganui district councillor Rob Vinsen. Photo / Bevan Conley

“We look at the new Sarjeant Gallery and the totally inadequate allowance for parking - only seven extra car parks from what was there previously,” he said.

“This is exactly the sort of fund that could be looked at to provide that parking.”

Vinsen said he only heard good reports about the council’s current parking wardens.

“No one really likes getting a ticket, let’s face it, but I think [the wardens] do it with a pretty good grace.

“I commend them.”

Councillor Michael Law supported the bylaw but said he did not see the benefit of extending the SuperGold card scheme to Saturdays.

Sixty-seven per cent of submitters were in support of the move.

“On a Saturday, everybody who is working is now trying to do their shopping.

“They are going to be competing with people who do not need to go on Saturday but choose to.

“I would urge us to reconsider this in a year’s time.”

Deputy Mayor Helen Craig agreed with Law, saying the central city, especially Victoria Ave, was getting increasingly busy on Saturdays.

She said even with the fee rises, Whanganui parking was still very affordable compared with many other places.

Elected members voted unanimously in favour of the bylaw, which will come into effect on July 1.

Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.