Motorists who use the Church St underground car park in the Queenstown CBD will be facing a 60% increase in all-day parking charges and a 68% increase in monthly parking charges if a recommendation to the Queenstown Lakes District Council's infrastructure services committee meeting is approved.
Council transportation manager Denis Mander said in his report, which will be presented to the committee tomorrow, Wilson Parking NZ Ltd, which has operated and managed the council-owned car park since 2000, was seeking to increase parking fees for the first time in four years.
If approved, the changes would see a 20% increase in charges for short-term parking from $1 for 30 minutes to $1.20; a 60% increase in all-day parking, from $5 to $8; and a 68% increase in monthly parking, from $110 plus GST per month to $151.67 plus GST, or $35 per week.
Mr Mander said the proposed increase would see Church St's fees "considerably higher than the nearest comparable - in terms of location - car park, Ballarat St".
"Given its role for short-term parking, it is not recommended that an increase in short-term parking charges [in the Church St parking building] be accepted at this point."
The all-day charge, however, was "well below" any of the other car parks, with the exception of the Recreation Ground and Boundary St, which had been identified as "commuter car parks".
The increase to $8 a day at Church St would bring the park into line with Man St and Ballarat St, Mr Mander said.
It would also reinforce its role as a "short-term car park".
The committee will also be asked to undertake a competitive tendering process for the management of the car park.
Wilsons' contract was operated month by month for the past five years, after its five-year consent, granted in 2000, expired.
The two options before the committee were to either retain the current arrangement, or go to tender.
If approved, the release of the tender request would occur on March 1, the new contract would be awarded on May 1, to begin on July 1.
Word on the street - Gardens parking time restrictions
Summer Boulter:
"We work on Gorge Rd so that does not really affect us too much, but all my mates working in town just park and walk down from that car park, so it's pretty bad."
Jacinda Reed:
"It would not impact me at all. I have my own park.
The overcrowding began when they changed the parks up there to 240 minutes, so people are invading the kindergarten car parks."
Jane Horne:
I have to park in residential streets like Melbourne St and Park St.
We need the library parking to go back to free all-day parking and the Queenstown Gardens should stay as all-day parking."
Alan Ward:
"It won't affect me at all.
I park down at the underground car park.
People at the end of the day will have to pay for parking like they do in the city.
I don't think that's too hard, is it?"
Matt Tilley:
"I think that they are running out of space for workers, but it's not going to affect me too much.
I drove today only because it was raining.
People driving in from Frankton will have to add 30 or 40 bucks to their weekly output, but the council has to make money somehow."
Vanessa Walker:
I guess it would put more pressure on the Park St parks, which are just packed all the time.
It's first in, first served.
I would not be super stoked about it."
