Editorial: Rare delight in finding free park

During a recent foray to Wellington we spotted a park not far from the central hub of restaurants and the cheerful Courtenay Place-side bars.

Perfect ... although my satisfaction took a slight blow when I checked out the time limits and costs ... I think it was about $6 an hour.

"That's a pale ale," I simmered before deciding to put a dollar in and take the chance.

I do not give up a modest pale ale lightly.

That device called a parking meter has been the bane of many a motorist's life and for an equally long time been an efficient way to raise revenue, although back in Napier in 1956 the council of that time actually said "no" to installing them, going against the revenue-raising advice of its traffic sub-committee and works committee.

Council eventually started putting meters into the CBD in 1958. Interestingly, it was reported at the time that some people would previously not drive into town because, as parking was free, there were never any parks left as people stayed all day.

Parking meters work on time and cash therefore creating vehicle movement.

Accordingly, they also create income so it was no real surprise that the decision by the Hastings District Council to continue its "trial" of free parking in the CBD for another six months has created some stirring, and a range of reactions.

That time frame would give the council more opportunity to explore "other options" in terms of paying for inner-city parking.

The Hastings City Business Association has been right behind the move to park up the parking meters, citing that free parking (although with time limits in place and accordingly enforced when required) would attract more people into the city and that would be good for business.

Mayor Lawrence Yule has said that for the first time in a long time the central business area was doing well.

But others say otherwise, and there was always the matter of how was the revenue lost picked up. Rates possibly?

Not everyone who parks a car is a ratepayer so that's a bonus from them, and, of course, some ratepayers shop in free-parking Havelock North so why should they have $30 a year added to their rates bill?

Pluses and minuses, however, I think it would be a safe bet to know the answer you'd get from anyone who ever copped a parking fine or three.