Bylaw seeks to stop ‘cheeky’ residents parking near wharf
The Southland District Council is pushing through a bylaw change to stop Stewart Island residents flouting parking rules.
More than two years ago, changes were made to parking on Elgin Tce near the island’s main wharf but they could never be legally enforced because the roading bylaws had not been updated.
Island residents were well aware the bylaws were not updated and flouted the parking rules, knowing they could not be fined.
At a council meeting yesterday, councillors voted to endorse a draft bylaw to make parking restrictions enforceable.
After the meeting, council chief executive Steve Ruru said the parking issue had been raised earlier in the year.
The council knew the parking changes were not enforceable when it changed the layout in 2016 and it was going to change the bylaw when the council had its 2018-19 district-wide roading bylaw review, Ruru said.
However, it was now pushing through a bylaw change before the review because island residents were ‘‘being cheeky’’ and ignoring new parking rules, knowing they could not be enforced, he said.
Parking on the street near the wharf was constricted and at peak times when ferries arrived, the area becomes congested.
In 2014, the Stewart Island Community Board voted to move parking areas on the street from the north side opposite the main wharf to the south side adjacent to the wharf. The board believed the changes would make access to the wharf safer.
By June 2016, the new parking restrictions were in place and were fully marked up.
As part of the process to change the bylaw, the community had to be consulted, and seven submissions were received, with most supporting the changes.
Staff would finalise the draft bylaw before presenting it to the council on September 19 for adoption.