Council eyes Taupo Quay for up to 60 car parks

THE River Traders Market may find itself cramped for space, as the Wanganui District Council considers converting its Taupo Quay site into a car park.
Councillors were presented with options to convert two riverside sites into car parks from Monday to Friday yesterday.
The spaces, which would not be available during the weekend, could provide 60 long-term parks, and ease the parking pressure on the central business district and nearby UCOL campus.
It would be divided between two sites, with 24 parks between 21 and 23 Taupo Quay, and 36 between 9 and 13 Taupo Quay, the current market site.
The council's finance and infrastructure committee were given the option of doing nothing, or creating the car park by laying chip seal, or either turf slabs or Gobi blocks.
However, Nicki Higgie suggested a compromise by chip sealing the smaller area, and laying Gobi blocks, the more expensive option, on the market site.
Although the final decision will be made at the next full council meeting on June 30, the committee was given the opportunity to express a preference.
The initial count was tied at five apiece between retaining the status quo and Cr Higgie's proposal, leaving committee chair Dot McKinnon to cast the deciding vote against the plan.
But a recount showed the final score to be 6-5 in favour of Cr Higgie's option.
Mayor Michael Laws, Dot McKinnon, Rangi Wills, Randhir Dahya, and Allan Anderson voted in favour of doing nothing while Sue Westwood, Philippa Baker-Hogan, Ray Stevens, Danny Jonas, and Rana Waitai voted with Cr Higgie.
Barbara Bullock declared a conflict of interest.
Council officers will prepare reports on the two most popular options and present them to the full council.
Market manager Annette Main said the market was happy with either option.
"We don't mind if it's left as it is, and we are quite happy with the idea of Gobi blocks. We'll go with the flow but we prefer the Gobi blocks."