HUTT CITY COUNCIL NEWS RELEASE

16 DECEMBER 2015

Council makes decision on free parking

At a meeting last night, Hutt City Council agreed a recommendation for free parking in Lower Hutt’s CBD in the week before Christmas.

Lower Hutt Mayor Ray Wallace says, “This is a bit of Christmas cheer for shoppers enjoying the great shops we have in our central city.”

The free parking applies to pay-and-display car parks with a two hour time limit in the CBD. The pay-and-display machines will display that there’s no charge for parking and will not accept any form of payment. The maximum time you can stay in the parks remains two hours, to ensure turnover.

In the same meeting, Council also agreed to free parking when there are large events in the CBD and to a four month trial of the first hour free for pay-and-display car parks with a two hour time limit in the HC2 zone. Further information on these two initiatives will be available in the new year.

Mayor Wallace says, “We are here to support our retailers and other businesses. This trial will give us a good indication of whether free parking has a positive effect on activity in the CBD.”

Free parking before Christmas, what you need to know:

• From Friday 18 December - 24 December parking will be free on pay-and-display car parks with a maximum 2 hour time limit in the HC2 zone of Lower Hutt’s CBD.

• Time limits still apply and will be enforced.

• The pay-and-display machines will display that there is no charge for parking and the machines will not accept any form of payment.

• Some parking in the CBD, such as all-day parks, will still require regular payment.

ENDS

© Scoop Media