Porirua brings in paid parking
The Porirua City Council has introduced new paid parking in the city, as part of a plan to gather revenue on a user-pays basis.
The first half-hour of any parking in Porirua City will be free but after that a charge will apply depending on how close the car park is to the city centre.
There are still free parking spaces around the city but the time limits on these parks have been shortened.
Zone 1, in the centre of Porirua, is the most expensive and shortest-term parking at $2 per hour for a maximum of one hour.
Zone 3 is $1.50 per hour for up to two hours.
There are two long-term parks in zone 2 and zone 4.
Zone 2, which is closer to the city centre, is $10 for long-term parking, while zone 4 is $5.
Mayor Anita Baker said introducing paid parking will help to keep rates lower.
‘‘Rates increases have already been set at 7.65 per cent for the next two years. Without paid parking, this would increase to 8.42 per cent,’’ she said. ‘‘With the first hour or half-hour free in most parks, customers will still be able to shop locally without paying for parking.
‘‘And we’ve made sure there are long-term parking options for those working in the city.’’
The council made the decision to implement paid parking last year, as part of its Long Term Plan.
People using services including Te Rauparaha Arena, Pātaka or the central library can park free for up to three hours in the Te Rauparaha Arena car park.
As part of the parking update, PayMyPark will now be available in Porirua, which allows people to pay through an app for parking.