New pricing for Auckland parking begins today

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A parking policy expert says Auckland's new CBD parking system is in line with the latest international practice.

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The changes are designed to encourage short term on-street parking - which means those wanting to park for an eight hour work day are being hit hard in the pocket.

For example, it will be $4 an hour to park up to two hours in Queen Street and $8 an hour after that.

Parking on the likes of Union Street is increasing from 50 cents an hour, to $2 an hour.

There will also be a ten minute grace period to allow pick-ups and drop offs.

But parking policy expert and Green Party MP, Julie Anne Genter, describes the new system as more direct pricing.

"We tend to think parking doesn't have a cost, because we're used to parking for free everywhere, but it has an enormous cost. I mean, that land where you park your car, that's very valuable land," she said.

Julie Anne Genter says at the moment, everybody pays for that prime parking, through things like higher costs for services and goods, and higher priced land.