Yesterday the Central Otago District Council (CODC) agreed to public consultation on changes to the roading bylaw 2020.
In a report to the council, council infrastructure manager Quinton Penniall said the district’s current roading bylaw was adopted in November 2020 following a review simplifying the 2015 bylaw.
In 2020 changes to parking restrictions were considered by community boards and recommendations incorporated into the roading bylaw.
Some car parking areas in the region were becoming stretched and complaints about people parking on footpaths with caravans and "different things" had increased, Mr Penniall said.
Two amendments to the bylaw were proposed — one concerning the restriction of parking on footpaths and cycle paths, and the other the alignment of parking enforcement fees to the Land Transport (Offences and Penalties) Regulations 1999.
The district’s current bylaw restricts parking on verges but it does not address parking on footpaths or cycle paths — an infringement under the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004, which can result in a $40 fine.
An update aligning fines with those listed in the Land Transport (Offences and Penalties) Regulations 1999 would result in a graduated scale of fines — ranging from $12-$60 — being introduced to reflect the offence, which would mean the CODC would be matching the method used by most other councils.
Deputy mayor Neil Gillespie said it was timely but the council needed to get feedback on the enforcement of the bylaw.
"Not only do we need a decent ticket system in place but actually also enforcing because that to me will be what this is going to get more feedback on than anything else."
Cr Tracy Paterson agreed, saying her main concern was how to be consistent with enforcement.
"We need to be consistent and I think in particular this is going to hit people in Alexandra and in Cromwell the most.
"Everywhere in the district, especially outside of our urban centres, everybody parks on the verge and I’m not sure how you’re going to police that but we need to be consistent."
The proposed amendments to the roading bylaw will be open for public feedback from January 30 to February 27.
