Parking hike of up to 50pc proposed
The cost of parking in central Christchurch could become a lot more expensive from July under plans to hike hourly fees by almost 50 per cent.
The proposal has been described as “illogical” by one Christchurch city councillor while others are supporting the push towards a more userpays system.
Christchurch City Council’s draft 10-year budget outlines an intention to increase on-street parking from $3.10 an hour to $4.50 – a 45 per cent increase. The cost to park at the council’s Lichfield St parking building could also rise from $2.80 an hour to $4–a 43 per cent increase. The rate at the Art Gallery car park could double from $2 an hour to $4.
In a bid to cut operating costs, the council is also proposing to reduce library hours, permanently shut the mobile library, and close the Akaroa and Lyttelton service centres, as well as the Riccarton Rd bus lounges.
Councillor James Gough, co-chair of the council’s city momentum committee, said increasing parking charges was “illogical”, especially amid Covid-19. “Naturally I don’t think it is conducive to welcoming people back into the central city.”
Some of the industries hit hardest by Covid-19 were retail and hospitality, he said, which made up the lion’s share of businesses in the central city. Gough said the idea that everyone would ditch their cars and jump on a bus destined for the city centre was an ‘‘ideological statement that had little correlation to reality’’.
Central City Business Association chairwoman Annabel Turley said businesses would be disappointed at the proposed parking increase.
‘‘The city centre is fragile at the moment. Businesses have not had years of good trading behind them.’’
She said businesses wanted to see more people coming into the central city but she understood the council had a financial gap to fill.
Councillor Jake McLellan said he supported the increases because the city should be moving towards a more user-pays system for parking. ‘‘We should move away from subsidising parking to a more user-pays ethos.’’
Councillor Sara Templeton said every area of the council budget had to play its part in keeping rates low while trying to maintain core services and parking was no different.
Parking charges in Christchurch were much lower than in other cities and it was one way the council could nudge people on to more sustainable forms of transport, she said.
In Wellington, people are charged $4.50 an hour to park in the central city and $2.50 on the weekend. Auckland charges $5 an hour for the first two hours and then $10 per hour after that.
The council’s long term plan (LTP) has identified savings in its day-to-day costs of $34 million next financial year and $329m over the next 10 years.
It would save about $600,000, including a $300,000 subsidy from Waka Kotahi/NZ Transport Agency, if it closed the Riccarton Rd bus lounges.
The bus lounges have attracted criticism since their inception in late 2015 for being a hotspot for violence and drugs. The council’s LTP said this kind of suburban facility was not provided anywhere else in Christchurch.
The LTP also reported there had been a decline in the use of the mobile library. It planned to discontinue the service in July next year when the van is due for retirement. The opening hours at other libraries could be reduced slightly. It was proposed to close the central library Tu¯ ranga at 7pm rather than 8pm on weekdays but it could open on some public holidays.
Aranui and Sumner libraries could close on Sundays, and other larger libraries, including South and Halswell, will close at 6pm instead of 7pm or 8pm.
The cost to swim at a council pool could increase by 30 cents for an adult to $6.60 and up 10c for a child to $3.80.
The popular Tumbletimes play session for babies and preschoolers will increase 9 per cent to $4.80 a session.