Michael Vautier says most infringements are issued on Victoria Avenue, with people thinking "they are just ducking in to grab something".
Michael Vautier says most infringements are issued on Victoria Avenue, with people thinking "they are just ducking in to grab something".
Parking fines in Whanganui are set to jump significantly and those caught in mobility parks without the correct permit face a $750 ticket - up from $150.
Other fines will increase by around 70% overall, with the penalty for not paying in a pay-by-plate area rising from $40 to $70.
Whanganui District Council community and customer service general manager Marianne Cavanagh said the new fines had been initiated by central government and would come into effect on October 1.
“They haven’t been reviewed since 2004 - that’s 20 years they haven’t gone up - so we [the council] weren’t surprised it was finally done.
“All the revenue still goes to the council. Central government sets the infringements and we enforce them.”
Cavanagh said the council was expecting pushback from the community about the changes but they were happening nationwide, not just in Whanganui.
“Nobody likes getting a ticket, but you get a ticket because you haven’t followed the rules,” she said.
Council senior compliance officer for parking, Michael Vautier, said he hoped the $750 fine at mobility spaces would “scare people off from doing the wrong thing”.
“Increasing this will send a very clear message that this behaviour is not okay, and our Government is serious about addressing accessibility issues,” she said.
Council environmental health and parking team leader Andre Claassen said occasionally, a grandchild would “use Nana’s card but Nana isn’t in the vehicle with them”.
“The cardholder has to be with them at the time,” he said.
“Another issue is the husband has passed away and the wife is now using their card - or vice versa.”
Overstaying a time limit or paid parking by no longer than 30 minutes currently incurs a $12 fine, but that will rise to $20 on October 1.
The fine could rise to $97 if the vehicle has overstayed by more than six hours.
Vautier said Victoria Ave was where most infringements were issued.
“Again, people think they are just ducking in to grab something so they take the risk.
“They might get stuck in a line or there is something else they want to have a look at, and before they know it, they’ve been there for 20 minutes and the officer has walked past twice.”
Claassen said it was possible to request a waiver on a parking fine and each application was “looked at on its own merit”.
A common issue was motorists putting in the wrong plate number in a pay-by-plate area.
“If you say you’ve paid, give us the amount and the registration number and we’ll go and look on our system.
“We do write off quite a few infringements because of that.”
Cavanagh said council parking officers were all equipped with body cameras.
“They are doing this [parking] but because they are out on the street, they are helping with all sorts of things, even medical events.
“Getting positive feedback is always heartening because it’s a pretty tough job.
“If someone does get a $97 ticket, it’s not the warden’s fault.”
Mike Tweed is a 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 Whanganui District Council.
