World expert talking on decriminalising parking at NZ parking conference in Nelson next week

A world expert will outline decriminalising of parking offences at the New Zealand parking conference in Nelson next week. Stuart Lawrenson, the European chief executive for Central Parking System, is guest speaker at the conference from October 5 to 8.

He will be talking about the decriminalisation of the parking infringements in the United Kingdom.

He will also explain how private enterprise now carries out all parking functions in the UK.

Lawrenson’s company, Central Parking Corporation, has been the world’s largest parking services provider since 1958, with over 20,000 staff and 4,000 operations in 15 countries, including 8 countries in Europe.

The conference is an annual event for the NZ Parking Association which is represented by 48 territorial local authorities and one international airport company. They all carry out parking enforcement in New Zealand. Allied to the conference is the largest NZ trade display of equipment and suppliers to the parking industry.

One of the suppliers, Reino International of Australia, will be presenting an award for parking excellence to one of this year’s delegates, association chairman Colin Waite said today.

``The award recognises contributions to the industry as well as recognising the struggles that some parking wardens or members have in their regions and cities.

``It acknowledges parking professionals in an industry that is often maligned and the subject of scorn and abuse.’’ The NZ Parking Association was formed in 1983 by all local authorities conducting traffic and parking enforcement. Copyright 2004 Word of Mouth Media NZ

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>