Higgins said if he paid for the required 260 days a year, the cost would be “just under $5,000.”
However, you can park your vehicle in a paid parking lot for a maximum of 2 hours.
On August 5, 14 new parking meters came into operation on Saint Hill, Guyton, Rutland and Ridgway streets, and parking prices in the CBD increased to $2 an hour, except on Victoria Avenue, where it is $3.
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Earlier this year, Main Street Whanganui general manager Des Warahi said installing more meters could impact workers at some businesses.
“They're usually very good and they park further away to let customers in so they have to go all the way back and it's an additional cost so it's putting pressure on them,” he said. .
“People still have to work here.”
The government's new laws last month increased parking fines in Whanganui by 70 per cent, with fines for failing to pay in paid parking increasing from $40 to $70.
Staying there for more than 30 minutes will result in a $20 fine, and if you stay for more than 6 hours, the fine increases to $97.
The new amounts went into effect on October 1st.
Higgins said parking in Phoenix on Drews Avenue would cost about $5,000 a year, while renting a municipal lot for $30 a week would cost $1,560 a year.
He said he and his partner now split the cost of private parking on the Phoenix property.
Mr Higgins spoke to Whanganui district councilors in a public representation alongside Drews Avenue residents.
Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe. Photo/NZME
The trainee was an emergency medical technician and earned about $63,000 a year, Higgins said.
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“(Just under $5,000) is 7.7% of his annual income and is the cost of parking his car outside his home.
“You might expect that in a place like Auckland, but that's not the case in Whanganui.”
From a resident's perspective, parking permits would be a “simple solution” and something used around the world, Higgins said.
“You can also impose a discretionary fee of $100 or $150 per year and limit parking to one or two streets around the address.”
Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe told the Chronicle that many people enjoy living in the city center and councils need to ensure they are provided for.
“At the moment, it is not reflected in policy,” he said.
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“Other cities across New Zealand are doing this (parking permits) and we need to play in that space.
“We're a growing city with a vibrant city center. It shouldn't be difficult to implement something like this.”
Councilor Kate Joblin asked Mr Higgins if he had any thoughts on how the introduction of permits would affect parking during peak hours.
He said most residents drive to work, and peak congestion at Drews Avenue and Rutland Street typically occurs after paid parking hours.
“During the day, where you (council) originally set up parking to increase the turnover of spaces, you probably won’t have as many problems.”
After Mr Higgins' presentation, Mr Tripe said he would ask council chief executive David Langford to follow up on the matter.
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Tripe told the Chronicle that CBD living should be encouraged and parking is part of that.
“For me, the measure of a healthy city is the atmosphere and vibrancy of its city centre.
“What we don’t want is the opposite: deserted, uninviting urban centres.”
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist with the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sports to music. His current focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.
