As Palmerston North continues to grow, we need to improve the way we manage parking across our city.
Our goal is to ensure parking aligns with our broader goals for transport, economic development, and community wellbeing.
To do this, we've developed a Parking Action Plan for 2025–2030. This plan outlines a series of actions we’ll take over the short, medium, and long term to better manage our public parking spaces.
Below, we’ve grouped the actions into their implementation timeframes.
Benchmark parking prices against public transport fares and the cost of providing parking
The cost of use needs to be considered in relation to the costs of providing parking and public transport.
Aligning parking fees with local public transport prices promotes equitable and sustainable urban transport. Connecting the cost of parking to public transport fares contributes to a more efficient and eco-friendly transportation system, fostering social equality and prioritising community well-being.
Aligning parking prices against the cost of providing parking reduces the burden on ratepayers by taking a user-pays approach that promotes fairness in the use of this public space.
Put restrictions on residential permits
Following complaints about how this system is implemented, we’ll explore restrictions on residential parking permits.
We will examine aspects such as who is eligible for residential parking permits, how they can be utilised, and whether a fee is required to access the permit. By doing this, we can balance competing needs for car parking.
Develop parking request templates and formalise the process
We receive a lot of requests to change or alter parking restrictions; how we manage these needs to be done in a consistent manner that is transparent and fair. To aid this process, we will look to develop templates that provide guidance for how to undertake a parking change request and how we assess applications.
Investigate demand responsive pricing for the city centre
We’ll investigate using demand-responsive pricing in the city centre and compare this to other parking fee systems.
Develop management plans for major events, sports fields, and outdoor venues
We will work with event organisers to put in place parking management for major events/sports fields and outdoor venues. These management plans are intended to deal with the infrequent parking demand, whereby parking demand can be high due to specific events, like markets, festivals, sporting events, etc.
Review Council’s publicly leased carpark management
We will review our management of leased parking to improve the use of these assets and ensure that they are being provided at a fair market level.
Investigate off-street parking opportunities
We will investigate public and private opportunities for providing off-street parking development, including better utilisation of existing Council land.
Invest in improved technology to support efficiencies in parking management
We will investigate technology that will improve how we manage parking and improve the user experience, as well as the operational side of managing parking.
Encourage car share providers to introduce operations to the city
Car share schemes are proven to reduce vehicle ownership rates and overall vehicle kilometers traveled. We’ll seek to engage with potential providers to help enable car-sharing schemes to operate in the city.
Undertake an assessment of electric vehicle infrastructure
Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly common. Electric vehicles offer several benefits in terms of reducing tailpipe carbon emissions. However, the supporting infrastructure needs for the city are not well understood. We‘ll take a citywide approach, looking at charging locations and identifying any locations where infrastructure might be needed and to encourage potential investment at these locations.