Council drops parking charge

An unpopular move to end free parking in Orewa and Warkworth has been abandoned.

The Rodney District Council received 485 submissions on a draft parking bylaw introducing $1-an-hour pay-and-display parking in central Orewa and Warkworth.

All but three of the submissions opposed the move.

A council spokesman said councillors had now unanimously agreed to drop the plan.

It will set up a working group to look into parking in Orewa, which has 1242 spaces in its central area and a weekday demand reaching 70 per cent during the day.