Council revisits Henderson carparking issues

Waitakere City wants the community’s views on the introduction of paid parking.

Its Finance and Operational Performance Committee meeting on Monday agreed that the option to change the Council’s funding policy on car parking (which currently sees the City’s ‘free’ carparking funded through rates) by providing for user pays, be included in the Long Term Council Community Plan and/or the 2003/04 Annual Plan for public consultation.

The Council also requested a report on how the pilot project would be implemented and the results of public consultation with businesses and residents in the area.

“The limited opportunity to provide more car parking in the City’s key centres will be a hindrance to development of those areas,” says Councillor Janet Clews, chair of the Finance and Operational Performance Committee.

“Paid parking could help overcome this problem by making it commercially viable for either the Council, or the private sector, to provide parking buildings without relying on rates to pay for them. It would also have the flow-on benefits of freeing up land for redevelopment and encouraging the use of public transport.”

Cr Clews says Henderson is the centre most under pressure for development space and where the benefits of charge parking are most likely to be realised.

“We are always interested in helping our town centres reach their full development potential,” she says.

The pilot study would be aimed at all-day parking, not at the existing short-term parking for shoppers. About 400 of the 1100 Council-owned parking spaces in Henderson are being used all day by people working locally or parking there and commuting elsewhere.

Preliminary investigations, which will include identification of issues, suggested technology, charging regimes, appropriate sites and local and citywide public consultations, will continue until July. Subject to funding approval, the year-long pilot project will then be undertaken with ongoing consultation and a report taken back to the Council for its consideration after that time.

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