Wellington City Council officers are recommending the council push ahead with weekend parking fees, despite opposition.
The council received submissions over its plan to introduce a $2.50 per hour fee on weekends. Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
The council is planning to introduce a $2.50 per hour parking fee on weekends.
The council decided on the fees as part of its long-term plan, to bring in more money, and to encourage people to use public transport.
At the moment motorists can park for free in the CBD for two hours at the weekend.
In a report prepared for a council meeting this week, 533 of 599 people opposed the weekend charges plan.
Submitters said they believed bringing in weekend parking fees would push people to stay and shop in the suburbs, or drive to malls such as Queensgate in Lower Hutt for the free parking.
They said not having to pay for parking made the city more accessible.
Residents in areas like Mt Victoria feared people would take residents' parks in a bid to avoid paying for parking when they came into town.
In the paper to be discussed at a meeting on Thursday officers said one option was to leave parking free on the weekends.
However, that would mean the council was acting inconsistently with decisions made through its long-term plan.
It said if weekend parking fees were not introduced, the council would have to increase rates to recover lost parking revenue.
The Council's Parking Services manager Peter McLellan said the fees would replace the downtown levy paid by retailers.
"It is part of a wider long-term plan and a part of that was the proposal to remove the retail support for free weekend parking
Mr McLellan said earlier consultation on the long-term plan saw much more support for introducing the fees.
This was rejected by Transport Strategy and Parking portfolio leader and city councillor, Chris Calvi-Freeman.
He said if that were the case, the proposal wouldn't have the support of retailers.
"Wellington CBD has a unique retail offering and yes I've read on social media people saying blow it I'll go to Queensgate or Porirua, but they have different offerings, people come into the CBD for all different sorts of reasons at the weekend."
Councillors will discuss the issue on Thursday.
