From Wednesday 24 July, vehicles illegally parked off roadways at Lake Hayes and Shotover Country will be ticketed.

This is part of Queenstown Lakes District Council’s traffic and parking bylaw, which came into effect on 1 March. Over the past month Council has been educating people through putting flyers on vehicles parked illegally in the area, which has seen a drop from an initial figure of over 100 vehicles to just 19.

QLDC Regulatory Manager Anthony Hall was pleased with the response to recent education, and reminded drivers that parking off roadways caused extensive damage to both the surface of the verges and infrastructure underneath.

“As well as ruining the verges cosmetically, there is a lot of vital infrastructure underneath that can be damaged when vehicles park on it,” Mr Hall said.

“This can cause disruptions to residents in the area, while fixing the problem can cost Council and ratepayers a lot of money.

“It is also a safety issue for drivers and pedestrians.”

Vehicles found parked illegally will now be subject to a $40 fine.

© Scoop Media