Hutt City Council considers introducing paid parking in Petone, increasing fees elsewhere

The council believes more revenue is needed to maintain the transport network and deliver future projects. Photo / 123rf

Free parking could soon be a thing of the past in the Lower Hutt suburb of Petone if proposals in the Hutt City Council’s Long Term Plan are agreed to.

The council is mooting the idea of adding parking fees on Jackson St, a popular hospitality and retail destination, alongside Petone’s Peel St car park. Also on the cards is a higher hourly parking rate in other paid parking zones in the Hutt, from $2 per hour to $3, with daily parking rates set to rise from $7 to $10.

Under the proposal, parking fees would be charged seven days a week.

It comes as costs for local councils are skyrocketing, amidst rising insurance premiums, and vows from representatives to tackle what’s often seen as an infrastructure backlog.

The council estimates the proposed changes would bring an additional $18.4 million in parking fee revenue over a decade. The council’s official consultation document on the matter describes operational transport costs as being $93 million higher over the 10-year-period compared to the most recent annual plan.

John Donnelly, owner of Jackson St business The Table, is lashing out at the proposal, fearing if paid parking was introduced on Jackson St, would-be shoppers would choose to park for free at the nearby Queensgate shopping mall, instead of supporting smaller retailers and hospitality companies.

Donnelley claimed free parking brings people to Petone, from outside Lower Hutt.

“It’s the final straw. It’s going to kill business in Petone,” he worried, adding his own business is facing lower sales as people struggle to come to terms with cost-of-living woes, and claiming many are “making a loss”.

Petone Community Board Chair Mike Fisher is also not convinced the positives of rolling out paid parking in Petone would outweigh the cons to both residents and local businesses.

In an interview with NZME, Fisher said it would be a “very big move” for the suburb. The idea had been considered in previous years, but hadn’t made it to being on paper, in a council consultation plan before.

Fisher said free parking in Petone was a point of difference, that enticed shoppers and visitors from across the region. “[Free parking is] good for hospitality on Jackson St, and it is something that makes Petone special and attractive for all those reasons.”

Fisher added many fear paid parking would have a “detrimental effect” on local businesses in the area, though he acknowledged the importance of encouraging people to choose walking, cycling and public transit where possible.

Business owners and retailers have given feedback to the community board, suggesting now isn’t the right time.

“For many, this could be the final nail in what they have to put up with,” Fisher feared. “It could just be too much for some, especially if it reduces the number of people that are attracted to the area.”

The Herald has previously reported a commuter parking levy was being considered to reduce the numbers of people driving into the city and parking in the CBD, mooted as part of the now-scrapped Let’s Get Wellington Moving project.

The Hutt City Council consultation document suggests the additional funding collected from implementing paid parking in Petone could go back into the community “to make improvements and upgrades to transport infrastructure on Jackson Street”.

In a joint message on the proposed 10-year-plan, Hutt City Mayor Campbell Barry and council chief executive Jo Miller say they need to “strike the right balance” with much-needed investment and the costs it puts on people. The pair said they were not willing to put off the investment the city needs, and they weren’t keen on making significant cuts to core services.

The proposals in the council’s Long Term Plan would come with an overall 16.9 per cent rates increase after growth, for the 2024/25 year.

In a statement, Hutt City Council’s economy and development director Jon Kingsbury said “We recognise the importance of Petone as being the Wellington region’s premier culinary and retail destination, and the current trading challenges for the hospitality and retail sectors.

“With a growing population, we need to ensure we have future-fit infrastructure that serves the needs of the community, and the areas that make the most use of that investment contribute to it appropriately,” Kingsbury added, encouraging people to give feedback on the proposal, before any decisions are made.

Consultation is open until May 3.

Azaria Howell is a Wellington-based multimedia reporter with an eye across the region. She joined NZME in 2022 and has a keen interest in city council decisions, public service agency reform and transport.