Auckland Transport delays changes to overnight parking in the CBD until December at the earliest

• Auckland Transport caused a furore in May with plans for 24-hour parking charges in the CBD.
• Auckland Transport then announced the overnight charges would be delayed, and apologised to the mayor for inadequate communication with stakeholders.
• The overnight charges were due to come into force yesterday but have again been delayed - until December at the earliest.

Auckland Transport (AT) has delayed new overnight parking charges in the CBD until December at the earliest.

The charges were due to come into force yesterday, where previously parking had been free in many parts of the city outside the peak hours of 8am-6pm.

In May, AT backtracked over the rollout of the controversial plan - delaying the new overnight charges and apologising to Mayor Wayne Brown over inadequate communication with stakeholders.

This came after Brown criticised AT for blindsiding him and residents when it announced it would begin charging for weekends, public holidays, and overnight parking in the CBD.

The proposed changes included a new overnight charge of $2-$3 per hour, depending on the inner-city zone.

AT chief executive Dean Kimpton said in May that they would delay implementation to October 1 in order to “allow for keeping the mayor and councillors sufficiently informed and further discussion with key stakeholders and those most affected”.

Auckland Transport chief executive Dean Kimpton. In May Auckland Transport delayed implementation of the 24-hour parking charges to October and it has now delayed them again. Photo / Jason Oxenham

On Tuesday - the day the new charges were due to be implemented - AT issued a statement saying it has had dozens of conversations with community and business representatives and elected officials to arrive at a suitable proposal that won’t impact the city centre’s vibrancy.

“Because we are allowing all feedback to be heard and considered, nothing will change on October 1. We will not communicate a decision until December 2024 at the earliest,” the statement said.

Brown said he was pleased the public is being given a fair chance to provide feedback before any decisions are made.

CBD resident Anil Ramnath said the changes could cost him $11,000 a year. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

One inner-city resident, Anil Ramnath, told the Herald in May that the changes could cost him $11,000 a year or more.

He said at $2 per hour in St Paul St Apartments’ zone near Symonds St, it would cost $216 a week - totalling $11,232 a year - a figure that does not include the cost of parking during peak periods.

New parking charges for Sundays and public holidays started as planned on July 1.

Changes in Wynyard Quarter will be delayed until a faulty pedestrian bridge is repaired.

Under its parking strategy, AT has prioritised the central city and eight metro centres for on-street parking management.

The strategy says these areas qualify for “increased charges for parking and more time-restricted parking”.

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