Hawke’s Bay: The big orange bus and its big parking problem

A Hawke’s Bay woman has been left miffed after being told by Hastings District Council her big orange bus is breaking parking rules in the city.

Zeb Jackson was given a notice on August 16 to move the bus by August 26 or risk it being towed at her cost. The notice told her the bus had been deemed an abandoned vehicle.

Jackson has lived in her 1985 Hino Rainbow house bus for the past five years, but also owns a property on Hemi St in Hastings which she is currently renting out to her two children - one of whom had recently given birth.

She regularly visits the home and arrived on July 16 in and parked outside the property to help her daughter with the new baby.

Zeb Jackson said she didn't want to break any rules with her house bus. Photo / Zeb Jackson

Jackson said with a newborn at home they rarely left the house, however in the time she had been staying they had taken the house bus, which was warranted and registered, out for coffee and even to Gisborne.

The new grandmother said instead of being able to enjoy the special time with her daughter and grandchild she was now faced with a problem she never anticipated.

“The council is telling me that one or more of the neighbours have possibly complained and I don’t want to make enemies and I don’t want to leave enemies for my daughter - I feel like I’m stuck.

“It is a big orange bus, she might be a bit unsightly to some people, maybe - she is quite bright and vivid.

“I’m really scratching my head here.”

She said she was worried if she did shift it, it would then cause more problems and complaints by encroaching on the car parks outside a neighbour’s property.

Jackson said after the notice was pinned to her windscreen, and sent to several addresses, she researched Hastings District Council bylaws and found them “vague”.

The Hastings District Council Parking and Traffic bylaw, which was reviewed in 2021, states: “A person must not park a vehicle on a road or public place for a continuous period of more than seven days.”

Jackson said she didn’t want to break any rules but “I feel like a little bit of understanding from the council would go a long way in this”.

She said she was in and out of the vehicle several times a day while at the house, so felt in no way the vehicle appeared abandoned.

“I can’t get around how the vehicle is deemed abandoned when I’m right here.”

Zeb Jackson has been given until August 26 to move the house bus.

“This has honestly caused so much stress for us at the house, I’ve had my daughter, the new mum, bawling her eyes out in tears not knowing if her number one support with this baby will have to leave - it’s horrible.”

Hastings District Council regulatory solutions manager John Payne said the council had been in contact with Jackson and given her advice about moving the vehicle.

“A complaint has been received. We have visited the property and advised the woman of the options to park it on her private property or move it every seven days.”

He said there was no specific bylaw that pertained to abandoned vehicles and “all incidents were treated on a case-by-case basis depending on information available to staff”.

“We determine a vehicle is abandoned based on information received from members of the public, our own observations of the vehicle and its condition, the warrant of fitness, licence and registration status and the council parking and traffic bylaw.”

Payne said during the visit, an electric cord was observed leading from the property, over the public footpath, to the bus, posing a potential safety hazard. Council had asked Jackson to remedy it.

Jackson told Hawke’s Bay Today that she immediately removed the cord when asked.

Payne said the current bylaw process had proved successful to date and if they received further complaints would investigate.

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay newsrooms. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.