Pay by plate parking meters coming to Hamilton

Thursday, 15 February 2024

Hamilton’s Pay-by-Plate' parking technology would work in a similar fashion to Rotorua’s, as pictured here.

‘Smart’ parking meters are hitting the streets of the Hamilton CBD but despite the change concerns remain about how many city parks are being managed.

The phasing out of the coin-operated system by the end of the month was long overdue, Vanessa Williams, general manager at Hamilton Central Business Association said.

The ‘pay by plate’ method was similar to new machines seen in Rotorua city centre.

Vanessa Williams welcomed pay by plate parking but was imploring council not to remove 2-hour free parking in the CBD.

The previous system was “a very outdated and old fashioned way of paying for parking, [council] needed to go to smart meters probably long before they actually have.”

But while parking meters were moving forward, a plan to phase out 2-hour free-parking would be a step back for shops in the city centre, Williams said.

“I have huge concerns around the removal of [2-hour free parking].

“I have on a number of occasions tried to encourage our elected members to go and visit the local businesses that are based here and talk to them about the impact that would have.”

Council voted to remove free parking at their November meeting, with it to end in January 2025, subject to public consultation.

Forget the cash, pay by plate parking meters or ‘Smart’ meters are hitting the streets of the Hamilton CBD, but how many parks are there?

Funding for the smart parking meters was approved in the 2021-2031 Long-Term Plan.

The digital meters operate by touch-screen and payment is made with payWave or the PayMyPark app. Two had already been installed in Opoia Paa Carpark (Sonning Carpark) since 2022.

“The coin-operated parking meters have reached the end of their life and need to be replaced,” HCC City Transport Unit Director, Gordon Naidoo said.

“Smart parking meters are the modern equivalent to manual meters, and offer greater convenience for those parking in the central city.”

A few machines accepting cash would also be available.

The parking system and enforcement services in Rotorua city centre are managed on Council's behalf by an agent i-Park and through a digital app.

People currently can park for two hours free of charge and then $6 for each hour after that, but that appears likely to change.

To get two-hours free parking wityh the new meters, drivers must register their vehicle’s licence plate number at the smart parking meter, or on the PayMyPark app.

Once the 2-hour free parking was removed, parking spaces that have greater than 85% occupancy would be $3 per hour for the first two hours and $6 per hour thereafter.

For parks that have less than 85% occupancy it would be $1 per hour for the first two hours and $6 thereafter.

Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate said different options are being considered as part of discussions about revenue collected from parking.

It would also affect the all day paid parking rate which would see prices increase from $6 to $12 to achieve 85% occupancy rates.

There was a very small amount of money that would be made from removing the free parking, Williams said.

“We don’t have a particularly well managed parking stock at the moment.

“The removal of [2-hours free] on top of everything else that businesses are facing is a false economy for revenue gathering. I do think there is a difference between the revenue talk and the management of parking.”