18 APRIL 2016

Council extends one hour free CBD parking until June 30

In an extraordinary Council meeting held this morning, Hutt City Council declared an extension of the first hour free parking in time restricted P120 car parks in the CBD. This will now run until June 30, 2016. This was initially scheduled to conclude on April 30, 2016.

Lower Hutt Mayor Ray Wallace explains, “Our community is currently providing feedback on this issue as part of the Annual Plan process. To eliminate any confusion for residents and visitors alike, we will continue to offer the first hour free in the CBD until the end of Council’s financial year on June 30”.

In the Annual Plan consultation document Council has outlined that there is a real cost to CBD free parking. The cost in lost revenue to Council is estimated at $925,000 per annum. Council estimates that this equates to approximately $15 - $17 per annum for a household with a rateable value of $375,000.

There are three options that the community have been asked to have their say on, to either fund this initiative through a split of general rates, to weight the cost of this so that businesses in the CBD pay 25% of the cost and the remaining 75% is made up of general rates, or to keep the user pays model for CBD parking.

The community is encouraged to have their say on this, or any other issue, through Council’s Annual Plan process by 5pm, Friday April 29. Those having their say can also present submissions in person on May 16 or 17.

Council will make a decision on the 2016/17 Annual Plan on June 2, after reviewing submissions from residents and businesses alike, analysing four months of economic data on spending in the CBD, and getting a better understanding on likely lost parking revenue.

More information on the Annual Plan is available at any Hutt City library, Council’s Administration building on Laings Road, or at huttcity.govt.nz/annualplan.

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