Bad Parking Habits Ease On Stewart Island

Saturday, 18 January 2025, 10:08 pm
Article: Matthew Rosenberg - Local Democracy Reporter

Parking problems on Stewart Island/Rakiura have improved despite new rules not yet being enforced.

In December, Southland District Council implemented parking restrictions on the island in hopes it would fix ongoing issues with people parking for extended periods in the township, sometimes for up to months at a time.

Stewart Island/Rakiura councillor Jon Spraggon said locals had improved their habits despite signage not yet being in place — a detail which meant the new rules were not actually enforceable.

“When you go down to the township, you can actually find a good parking space somewhere close to where you want to go,” Spraggon said.

While there were still issues with holiday makers and some contractors, people were starting to consider where they pulled up, he said.

“They’re parking elsewhere, not leaving their car parked for two or three days right outside the airline office.”

At its December meeting, the council approved changes to existing restrictions while adding new ones, including time restrictions for popular parking areas.

The organisation did not enforce parking throughout the district, but Police indicated they would undertake that work on the island.

Spraggon did not know when the new signage would be installed but believed it could be in place by the end of the month.

He has previously said there are too many vehicles on the island for the number of people living there.

In addition to parking changes, a temporary one-way trial on Dundee St was also approved in an effort to improve road safety.

The changes were consulted on between October and November, with 49 people giving feedback.

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