Kāinga Ora tenants slam proposal restricting car parks

Kāinga Ora tenants have written to the Hutt City Council in opposition to a proposal that would see the total number of car parks reduced, prompting a policy change.

The council has been considering installing broken yellow lines and traffic islands at the intersections of Mitchell St and Copeland St, along Oxford Terrace, in a bid to improve pedestrian access and reduce speeding.

Residents have previously been told the proposal would result in a net loss of four parks on Oxford Tce and two on Mitchell St, prompting a backlash from social housing tenants.

One tenant, who claimed to be a resident in the new Kāinga Ora apartment building on the corner of Mitchell and Oxford, wrote to the council with “strong opposition” to the proposal.

The tenant said the building has 32 one-bedroom apartments and parking for only 16 cars on a first-come-first-serve basis, and suggested residents had parked their vehicles in undesignated parking spaces, causing issues for emergency service vehicles.

Street parking spaces were said to be in “high demand”, as people were parking on the footpath, blocking pedestrian access during church services and at times when the nearby community hall is being used.

A separate resident had claimed to have spoken to a number of other residents “who feel compelled to raise serious concerns over details of this proposal”.

They said the wellbeing of social housing tenants was being “overlooked, or not even considered” in the council’s plans.

“Roadside parking on Mitchell St is paramount for many reasons as the people living in the complex are all over 60 and up to 87 years old and all of us have one or more health issues,” the resident told the Hutt City Council.

In a statement, the council’s head of transport Paul Hewitt said the primary purpose of the proposal was to reduce speeding and enhance pedestrian accessibility.

Hewitt confirmed the proposal was being “revised” following the feedback, “to ensure there is no reduction in on-street parking spaces on Mitchell St.”

“Hutt City Council recognises the importance of accessible parking for residents with health limitations and those who do not drive,” Hewitt said.

Other parking changes in Lower Hutt’s CBD come into force from July 1, with increases to hourly and maximum daily charges. Fees are planned to be rolled out in the seaside suburb of Petone in 2024-25 - something a local business-owner has suggested would “kill business” in the suburb.

Azaria Howell is a Wellington-based multimedia reporter with an eye across the region. She joined NZME in 2022 and has a keen interest in city council decisions, public service agency reform and transport.