Uncertain future for riverbank market
One of Lower Hutt’s biggest attractions – the Riverbank Market – is facing an uphill battle for survival.
The Saturday morning market on Rutherford St attracts about 10,000 people each week – including many from Wellington – but it is also a major cause of congestion.
That is because traffic accessing the Melling Bridge backs up for kilometres and roundabouts near the market grind to a halt.
A complaint from nearby business Harvey Norman about problems accessing its carpark resulted in Hutt City Council trialling a new market layout and traffic management system for four weeks, costing $4000 a day.
With those changes now set to become permanent, councillors have decided to charge $2 an hour for parking at the market from July to recover the annual $213,000 cost.
The market will be retained until August next year, when the lease with operator Graham Hamilton expires.
But the $2 parking fee appears to be unpopular with market patrons, with reaction on social media suggesting many will balk at the charge and shop elsewhere.
The new market layout has also sparked some stallholders to leave, while plans to upgrade the river stopbanks between the Melling and Ewen bridges would significantly reduce the size of the market’s car park.
‘‘It has been quite clear for a number of years that the long-term future of that site is untenable because the car park will be significantly reduced in size,’’ said the council’s city development manager, Gary Craig.
Councillors faced a difficult decision on the market’s future because it was popular and provided obvious community benefits, he added.
It was, however, a business and the council could not subsidise it by providing free traffic management.
Although some social media users said they would instead go to other markets, Craig had his doubts.
People already paid for parking at Wellington’s Harbourside Market and they would get used to paying in Lower Hutt, he said.
The council wanted to retain a market in the city and was looking at other sites but there were none large enough.
It was possible that several smaller specialised markets could be used.
Hamilton declined to speak to Stuff for this story but, in an earlier interview, said the new layout and traffic controls were having a negative impact.
Annie’s Bakery stallholder Lui Gundersen said people would stop coming to the market if they were charged for parking.
‘‘It just puts up the price. They’ve still got the hassle of getting in and out of the market anyway, it will just become another reason why they don’t come to the market.’’
Shopper Russell Eriksen, of Lower Hutt, agreed.
‘‘If the council charged $2 for parking, I probably wouldn’t come any more, to be honest.’’
But fellow shopper Maria Hakaraia said although a parking charge seemed ‘‘a little over the top’’, she would stay loyal. ‘‘It’s still the most affordable place to get good food. I would still come here regardless.’’
‘‘It will just become another reason why they don’t come to the market.’’ Annie’s Bakery stallholder Lui Gundersen of the new parking charge