Whangārei Disability Advisory Group member Wendy Giffin says disability parking is not a convenience but a necessity for those with mobility challenges. Photo / Sarah Curtis
Whangārei Disability Advisory Group member Wendy Giffin says disability parking is not a convenience but a necessity for those with mobility challenges. Photo / Sarah Curtis
A $600 increase in the fine for unauthorised parking in mobility spaces has failed to deter Whangārei’s rule-breaking drivers.
Infringement rates show the problem has worsened since the nationwide penalty rose from $150 to $750 on October 1 last year.
Whangārei District Council (WDC) said in the eightmonths since the increase, 214 infringement notices were issued - up from 158 during the previous eight-month period when the lower fine was still in effect.
She said she had been threatened and verbally abused when politely asking unauthorised drivers to vacate designated spaces, and she had heard all manner of excuses.
“But there is no excuse,” Giffin said.
“Please don’t do this. It could be you who’s disabled in future. It could happen at any stage of your life, and it could be your mother, father, sister, brother, cousin, auntie, uncle, best friend that suddenly ends up needing a mobility park.”
Giffin said it was sad that those who flouted the rules did not seem to have any appreciation of the difficulties faced by disabled people.
“When someone parks without a mobility card, they’re showing complete disrespect to the disabled community.”
WDC health and bylaws manager Reiner Mussle said that of the 214 parking infringements issued since the penalty increase eight months ago:
Only 32 had been paid
43 drivers had successfully disputed the fine
The remaining tickets were either in court or approaching the 56-day referral period
Of the cases that reached court, 76 had been successfully prosecuted, with others still pending.
Mussle was unable to say which, if any council controlled disability parking spaces had the highest rate of misuse but noted the 52 off-street and 14 on-street ones in the central business district were the most frequently patrolled by enforcement staff.
“When someone parks without a mobility card, they’re showing complete disrespect to the disabled community," Giffin says. Photo / Sarah Curtis
Income from all paid infringements went to council as the enforcement agency and was used to fund parking warden contracts, Mussle said.
“Therefore, the disabled community benefits from this as it ensures that mobility carparks remain available to those legally entitled to use them.”
Mussle said the council regularly reviewed its Parking Enforcement Plan to ensure it remained responsive to emerging parking behaviour changes.
He confirmed the council’s 70-plus card did not entitle its holders to use disability parking spaces.
The card only allowed free parking at council-controlled car parks, excluding Wilsons carpark on John St, the hospital car park, and the carpark next to Whitecross.
The exemption card must be displayed, and vehicles can only be left for the maximum time normally permitted in that specific carpark.
WDC’s website provided more details about council-controlled parking, including for mobility parking spaces, which are only for use by those with a mobility parking permit. Parking in those spaces is free but maximum parking times still apply.
Mobility parking permit holders also receive a parking concession for all standard council car park spaces and can park for twice the stated time allowed. For example, payment for one hour allows parking for two hours.
The project was part of the council’s Long Term Plan for 2024-34,in which the council had also committed to developing a Park and Ride service over the next 20 years, Cocurullo said.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for theNorthern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
