Queenstown parking changes pending

The change to parking in central Queenstown, as outlined in the Annual Plan consultation, will now go to full council for approval, Queenstown Lakes District Council transport manager Denis Mander said.

“This is the parking proposal that we consulted on in April through the Annual Plan process affecting around 281 carparks on Ballarat and Boundary Streets and the Recreation Ground,’ Mr Mander said.

There were three key reasons to change the existing parking.

“We have to address the $1.1 million dollar parking debt, we need to free up all day parking for the short stay visitor and we need to encourage smarter travel options by our community - that is the future” he said.

The change, which would see charges increase by fifty cents an hour to $1 on Ballarat Street and a new charge of fifty cents an hour with a $2.50 cap on Boundary Street and non-leased parks on the Recreation Ground, had yet to be approved by full council.

Free, short stay, Queenstown Library car parks were not affected.

“Pending approval, the introduction of the new charges will be dependent on the installation of new pay and display machines and signage. It is unlikely to be before September,” Mr Mander said.

The proposed changes were always dependent on ensuring options were made available to the local community.

“We now have the new public transport service up and running and we are working on the provision of free parks for car pooling, which will be through a car pool permit system,” Mr Mander said.

If the decision was to go ahead with the changes, the community would be given plenty of notice.
“The change won’t be made overnight and even then we will focus on education rather than enforcement,” he said.

ENDS

For further information please contact Denis Mander 03 441 0499.