‘It’s unacceptable’: Christchurch City Council profits most through ticketing from nearby hospital carparks

Christchurch City Council has earned its highest amount of revenue in parking infringements through parking around its hospital, according to newly released data.

It has led to a city councillor calling the amount of money generated by the council-owned parks “unacceptable”.

Figures released to NZME under the Official Information Act revealed the number of car parking infringements issued were highest in the area around the hospital region.

The Hagley Oval car park is the most ticketed location, with Christchurch City Council pocketing $108,366 from over 2000 fines, from 2021 to 2022.

The Armagh Street-Botanic Garden car park was also a big earner for the council, with $123,070 generated from over 1028 fines in the same period.

According to the figures, the amounts charged also included offences such as expired warrants of fitnesses and vehicle licences.

The Hagley Oval car park is the most ticketed location, earning $108,366 from over 2000 fines. Photo / NZ Herald

Christchurch city councillor Aaron Keown said hospitals should be the most accessible facility in any community.

“It’s disappointing that car park infringement profits around the hospital are the highest, I can’t believe anybody is ok with that.”

Keown said the council pushed back on an idea of his and Mayor Phil Mauger’s, that would have seen 100 temporary parks added to Hagley Park, which is located opposite Christchurch Hospital.

He said it was a decade-old problem for the city, but Christchurch had “moved away” from facilitating the movement of cars.

“[It] seems to have gone to the opposite, and is facilitating bicycle movements and bus movements, but when it comes to the evil car, they’re not welcome.

“The problem with that is, a hospital is usually needed by people who are in cars…you don’t bus to the hospital to have a baby, or on a bike.”

The council’s traffic operations manager, Stephen Wright, said infringement notices issued in the vicinity of the hospital “are adjudicated on a case-by-case basis”.

Aaron Keown said he and Mayor Phil Mauger had an idea that would have seen 100 temporary parks added to Hagley Park. Photo / George Heard

Several frustrated Christchurch residents called into Canterbury Mornings on Monday highlighting their personal parking woes.

One stated he couldn’t find a car park at 5am on Sunday morning whilst caring for his sick partner.

“I had to drop her off at the A&E, put her in a wheelchair, get her in the room, talk to somewhere there while I’m parked where I shouldn’t be parked, with my hazard lights on,” he said.

Another claimed, “it’s the worst hospital in the world for parking”.

Ngāi Tahu is currently developing a new 450-space public car park for the Christchurch Hospital.

The building on the corner of St Asaph St and Hagley Ave was meant to be finished by the second half of 2022 but was held up due to “Covid-related delays” and “in-ground conditions”.

It’s now on track to be finished later this year.

It’s a very similar scenario for Te Whatu Ora’s promised staff car park extension.

The existing staff car park on Antigua St was meant to have two additional storeys added by October 2022.

Te Whatu Ora has confirmed it doesn’t know when a decision will be made on whether to proceed with the extension.

“We are currently evaluating the project due to construction cost escalations, we anticipate this process will take a few months,” a spokesperson said.

“We have 952 dedicated staff car parks and are looking at other staff car parking options to extend the current staff car parking capacity into the future.”