CBD parking meters busted open

$76 A POP: Each vandalised parking meter costs the ratepayer at least $76 to fix. PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY

Vandals are repeatedly targeting Whanganui parking meters.

Meters in the central business district had been broken into several times each month since January, Jo Meiklejohn, from Whanganui District Council's parking services, told the Chronicle after these vandalised meters were spotted on Saturday.

Eighteen were forced open at the weekend.

"The parking team emptied the meters on Friday evening, so very little money was available to the vandals," Ms Meiklejohn said.

"However, for every meter vandalised we have to order a new lock at the cost of $76, plus labour costs, each."

That is $1368 - plus labour - for the weekend's thefts, which might amount to only a few dollars.

Ms Meiklejohn said the council was grateful to members of the public who had rung in and reported suspicious activity around the parking meters.

Council was working with police to try and find the offenders, using CCTV cameras. In late February, the Chronicle reported that three parking meters had been damaged in Victoria Ave.