Tackling inner harbour parking, mortuary waste

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Unenforceable parking restrictions at Gisborne city's redeveloped inner harbour have prompted the district council to bring forward a bylaw review.

The council says it has received several complaints about the misuse of car parks set aside for boat trailers, but it is unable to fine people who are breaking the rules without updates to its traffic and parking bylaw.

Time-restricted parking in the inner harbour also needs to be added to the bylaw before it can be enforced.

Although councillors at the Sustainable Tairawhiti committee meeting agreed to the bylaw review, some questioned the lack of information on inner harbour parking controls.

Debbie Gregory said it was hard to make a decision without details on the restrictions the council wanted to enforce.

Concerned about inner harbour workers, Amber Dunn wanted to know if all parking in the area would be time-restricted.

Chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann said councillors would be presented with a full rundown of the parking controls in the draft new bylaw.

The 2011 bylaw was to be reviewed before the end of 2021 but will now be updated this year, following a consultation process beginning in June.

A report to councillors notes the first half of next year will be taken up with 2021-31 Long Term Plan deliberations and the council would be stretched to complete a bylaw review at the same time.

As well as inner harbour parking controls, the new traffic and parking bylaw will be able to restrict where heavy vehicles can travel through Gisborne city.

Public feedback is still to be sought on the freight route proposal, along with a final decision from councillors.

Civil engineering firm WSP has identified Harper Road as the preferred route for logging trucks to get to State Highway 2 from Waimata Valley Road.

Councillor Tony Robinson said he would also like the council to consider an engine braking restriction as part of the traffic and parking bylaw review.

At the same meeting, the council agreed to review its trade waste bylaw to stop mortuary wastewater from entering Gisborne city's wastewater network and being discharged to Turanganui-a-Kiwa/Poverty Bay.

Following a council decision last February, the hospital and funeral homes will need to separate and store mortuary wastewater for the council to collect and transport to a proposed treatment facility at Taruheru Cemetery.

Including mortuary wastewater in the trade waste bylaw's list of prohibited substances, as well as requirements around the separation, storage, transport and disposal of mortuary wastewater, is labelled a “critical” part of the project in a report to councillors.

The bylaw is due to be updated in August following public consultation from May.

The project to separate mortuary wastewater should be completed next March.