Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Parking bandits come up short

Mike Barrington
Northern Advocate·
20 Feb, 2014 08:19 PMQuick Read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Whangarei District Council roading manager Geoff Devine in Whangarei's Forum North carpark where thieves have removed a pay and display parking coupon machine. Photo / John Stone

Whangarei District Council roading manager Geoff Devine in Whangarei's Forum North carpark where thieves have removed a pay and display parking coupon machine. Photo / John Stone

Thieves hoping to steal cash from Whangarei pay-and-display parking machines have found them unrewarding.

The wannabe robbers have resorted to a "gas axe" and towing gear to get into machines already emptied by Whangarei District Council staff.

The only payout is to council contractors who will collect an estimated $30,000 to replace three of the vandalised machines, which are beyond repair.

A machine hit in the Hatea Dr carpark last month was destroyed by efforts to open its cash box, which had already been cleared. In a second failed raid there an oxy-acetylene "gas axe" was used to get into another.

Council roading manager Geoff Devine said the machines were designed to be vandal-proof. "That one was damaged, but it is still operating."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Two others among about 70 such machines around the Whangarei CBD had also received rough treatment.

On Tuesday night a machine at Forum North was roped, tied to a vehicle towbar, pulled off its concrete base and stolen. But all the CBD machines are being emptied of cash by 5pm daily.

Discover more

Bylaws proposed to regulate freedom camping

22 Dec 06:59 PM

Council's gift: Free parking

22 Dec 07:04 PM

GP foots bill as free bikes hit street

23 Dec 06:45 PM

Enforcer spat at

14 Feb 05:00 PM
Save
    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

New victims speak out against jailed sex offender, leading to another hefty sentence

23 Sep 05:30 AM
Northern Advocate

Prime Minister to open Kaipara’s new $26m water reservoir

23 Sep 05:00 AM
Northern Advocate

Pickleball passion: Whangārei coach on spreading fastest-growing sport

23 Sep 04:00 AM

Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

New victims speak out against jailed sex offender, leading to another hefty sentence
Northern Advocate

New victims speak out against jailed sex offender, leading to another hefty sentence

Todd Gibbons is nine years into a 12-year jail sentence – now he's been given another 10.

23 Sep 05:30 AM
Prime Minister to open Kaipara’s new $26m water reservoir
Northern Advocate

Prime Minister to open Kaipara’s new $26m water reservoir

23 Sep 05:00 AM
Pickleball passion: Whangārei coach on spreading fastest-growing sport
Northern Advocate

Pickleball passion: Whangārei coach on spreading fastest-growing sport

23 Sep 04:00 AM


Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable
Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP