MEDIA RELEASE
8 December 2003

Residential parking permits for
multi-unit dwellings to be reviewed in 2007

Central city residents with certain types of council residential parking permits have been given a four-year reprieve, following the decision by Auckland City Council’s Transport Committee to extend existing permits for multi-unit dwellings until 2007 when they will next be reviewed.

The permits were due to expire next year but the committee decided to allow the renewal of permits for existing holders, following a number of submissions from affected residents.

The main types of accommodation affected by this ruling are multi-unit dwellings in the central area and surrounds with existing residential parking permits. ‘Multi-unit dwellings’ include townhouses, apartments and any situation where there is more than one residence on a single land title. Providing they remain at the same address and renew their existing permits annually, permit holders will retain their parking privileges until the next review of the scheme in 2007 but the permits will not be renewed or passed on if the existing holders move residence before the end of that time.

Residents’ parking schemes were introduced in the 1980s as one of a series of incentives to encourage the development of inner city living in the central area and surrounding centres such as Parnell, Grafton and Newmarket. Residential only parking schemes were established mostly for older apartments, built between 1910 and 1940 which had limited off-street parking and were built prior to the introduction of planning mechanisms requiring off-street parking. The permit system provided residents with access to on-street parking in the vicinity of the apartment. With the boom in urban living in recent years, however, the scheme has become inequitable and unnecessary. The decision was made to bring it into line with the council’s newer residential parking permit schemes.

“Some time ago the council resolved that residents’ permits would not be issued to occupants of multi-unit dwellings and that existing permits not be renewed beyond 30 June 2004,” Councillor Greg McKeown, Transport Committee chairperson, noted. When residents were advised of this we received a number of requests to extend the phasing out process over a longer period. Submissions included elderly residents and people with young children who felt they would have to move if their permits were revoked this year, so we have moved to provide a longer grace period in which people can make alternative parking arrangements before the next review.”

Existing holders’ permits will still have to be renewed annually up until June 2007 when the scheme will be reviewed.

ENDS

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