Verdict in Christchurch car parking battle likely months away

Wednesday, 15 July 2026

Peter Turner, Mainland Parking, left, and Wilson Parking NZ chief executive Ryan Orchard at the Employment Court in Christchurch. (Composite image)

Wilson Parking is seeking remedies that could total up to $25 million from its former South Island manager and his rival parking company, although the final amount will depend on the outcome of a lengthy Employment Court case.

Closing submissions finished on Tuesday after a four-week hearing into allegations former regional manager Peter Turner misused confidential information to start Christchurch-based competitor Mainland Parking before his restraint of trade expired.

Turner was accused of “poisoning” relationships with clients and sabotaging contracts in the 10 months before he resigned, and was given the blame for Wilson’s negative reputation in Christchurch.

He also faced a suite of claims about “nefarious” behaviours and working with a corrupted insider to start his business.

Wilson’s lawyers say Turner conceded to several of the claims while on the stand, but also accused him of being evasive and dishonest to the court.

Turner’s side, however, has argued the ex-regional manager never truly had the autonomy and level of responsibility that Wilson claimed he did.

Although Turner in practice signed off on deals, on paper, there were layers of more senior management expected to supervise his work. The contracts were uploaded by an employee not accused of any wrongdoing into a system his superiors had access to and, according to one memo from head office, were expected to sign off on.

A judgement on the case is likely several months away. (File photo)

Turner’s side is arguing his 12-month restraint of trade clause was unreasonable and should be void and Wilson landlords left the company for their own reasons. However, Turner has admitted to working on his competing business before those 12 months were up.

Wilson’s side took from Monday until the lunch break on Tuesday to wrap up.

The parking giant has signalled it wants $25 million in damages and/or remedies from Turner and Mainland, but the company’s lawyers declined to give a final figure on Tuesday. They want to wait until Judge Helen Doyle rules on whether Turner was a senior enough employee to be considered to have had fiduciary obligations to Wilson, which could potentially unlock more severe penalties.

Wilson Parking lawyer Rachael Reed, KC, accused Turner of lying to the court.

Judge Doyle did not say how long a decision may take. Most Employment Court judgements are delivered within three months, but the Wilson case had a particularly lengthy trial with some 70,000 documents produced during discovery and dozens of witnesses with conflicting views.

That included the testimony of a senior Wilson executive who claimed to be “instrumental” in Turner’s plan, but was offered protection from legal action and the chance of some work with Wilson if he turned on his alleged co-conspirator.

The senior executive, who has name suppression, claimed to have passed on confidential information to Turner. Turner denied this, and his lawyers argued the man’s evidence was a “reconstruction” of his memory based on email chains and other documents Wilson prepared for him.

However, Wilson’s lawyer Rachael Reed, KC, accused Turner of being a liar whose version of events should not be trusted over the recollection of other witnesses, including landlords who believe Turner told them about his future car parking business while still a Wilson employee.