No more free parking at Taupō Airport

Airport parking at Taupō Airport will no longer be free once the new terminal is built. Photo / Dan Hutchinson

The rare treat of free parking at Taupō Airport is coming to an end.

New parking charges will come into effect when Taupō Airport's new terminal opens, which is expected to be in December.

The first 30 minutes will be free, then fees of $2 per hour will apply up to a maximum of $14 for 24 hours and $82 for a week.

The Taupō District Council voted to approve the new charges at its meeting on September 27, ending a long tradition of free parking - one of the few airports in the country that still offers it.

In a report to the council the Taupō Airport Authority estimated that up to 20 per cent of its revenue would come from parking fees.

The council says the new charges will help to maintain the newly-constructed $9.2 million airport car park and terminal.

The Crown's Provincial Development Unit paid for $5 million of the building project, the Ministry of Transport paid for $870,000 and the council picked up the remaining $3.4 million.

The development includes a new sealed car park with more parking spaces and lighting to replace the old car park which was unlit and grassed.

Taupō District Council deputy chief executive Julie Gardyne says the car park charges reflect the council's user-pays philosophy and will help reduce the financial impact on ratepayers.

"The new car park is a huge improvement over the previous one, being much safer for winter use when flights are arriving in darkness, and a lot easier to navigate in the wet."

The new charges are subject to Ministry of Transport approval.

Gardyne said the airport's level of operations have increased considerably over the years, so they need to make sure it is properly funded by those that use it.

She said the contributions from the parking will be invested back into running the airport and its infrastructure.

"Our airport is transitioning from a medium-sized regional airport to an important transport hub and business precinct that plays an important economic role for our entire district.

"The charges we have settled on are very competitive, being lower than all other airports of comparable size."

Napier Airport charges $5 per hour and Rotorua charges $4 per hour.

Taupō Airport Authority (TAA) chairman Chris Johnston said the new airport terminal was going to be a huge asset to the whole district as it welcomed visitors as well as offering a better travel experience for locals.

"The TAA has been working towards this day for nearly 10 years.

"The new terminal looks very impressive and is going to be a world-class facility, designed and built by Taupō locals.

"It is really exciting to see it now coming of age and opening up even more potential. Our passenger numbers have returned to 90 per cent of their pre-Covid levels, which is fantastic.

"It's important to remember that it takes a huge amount of work to keep an airport of this size functioning. Everything from staffing to wildlife control, runway maintenance and maintaining safety levels - and yes, car parks - has to be a part of a business model and the new parking charges are part of this."