Rise in parking charges planned as revenue booster

Wanganui parking charges are going up, unless Wanganui District Council can be convinced otherwise.
Council yesterday agreed to include the increases in its draft annual plan, which will go out for public submissions next month.
It is proposed Victoria Ave charges increase from $1 per hour to $1.50, bringing in an estimated $40,000 to $50,000 more per annum.
Parking in side streets will increase 10 cents an hour to 50 cents (estimated revenue increase $17-18,000); off-street car parks increase a $1 per day to $3 ($16-18,000) and rental car parks increase $5 a week to $15 ($1-2000). Council also supported increasing parking warden staffing by four hours a day, which was estimated to have a net revenue gain of $60,000 to $70,000.
Deputy chief executive Ian McGowan said the major source of the $60-70,000 revenue would be an increase in fines income. About four and a-half years ago a staff member left and was not replaced and the number of tickets was significantly less then previously.
"It is known that a number of people do take advantage of the low level of policing of certain areas and deliberately stay longer than permitted."
Mr McGowan said council's policy until now was parking was not a revenue earning activity with the charges and fines set to cover costs and not make a profit.
However, there was no legal constraint on council regarding what it used parking revenue for ? for some councils it was a major income earner.
That most of the revenue for Victoria Ave parking came in by $1 and $2 coins, even though the maximum permissible time cost $1, showed parking in this area was not highly price sensitive, Mr McGowan said.
Cr Barbara Bullock said she was pretty weary about the across the board five percent cut in operational spending. Increasing parking charges was more transparent and upfront and the public could see where the money was coming from. Cr Don McGregor said he saw no justification for increasing charges for parking in side streets and off-street car parks. Council had to be reasonable, else it would be seen as taking with one hand and giving with the other.
He and Cr Bullock voted against increasing charges in these areas.
Mayor Michael Laws said $15 for a weekly car park was "incredibly cheap" and the city's parking would still be cheaper than that in Palmerston North and New Plymouth.
"Dear Lord, it will probably make it cheaper than Raetihi." Excluding the proposed increases in charges, council is projecting to receive $500,000 from CBD parking in 2005-06.