The first of Rotorua's new parking machines have been installed in sections of Whakaue Street and Pukaki Street.

'Seven of the new machines have been installed and are currently in use, with three more scheduled to go in over the next week,” says Council's Community Compliance Team Leader, Kurt Williams.

'The remaining machines will be installed early next year.

'New signage has also gone up in zones where the new machines have been installed. These signs indicate that drivers parked in these spaces need to pay by plate using the new parking machines.

'The new machines have signs on their sides indicating what type of payment they take. If a machine doesn't take coins, there will be one across the road that does.

'Our team of parking wardens are out and about and ready to assist with any parking queries people may have.”

The next three parking machines will be installed in Whakaue Street and the Haupapa Street off street parking area.

As part of a phased transition to modernise and improve inner city parking in Rotorua, Rotorua Lakes Council partnered with parking service provider i-Park in May this year.

The new parking system aims to modernise the existing system by providing more flexibility and payment options for users, while also assisting to increase the turnover and availability of parking spaces in the CBD.

The new machines take credit card and debit card payments and approximately half of the new machines will also take coins.

On one side of the street there will be a machine that doesn't accept coins and on the other side there will be one that does accept coins.

A key feature of the new machines is that after paying for your parking, you do not need to return to your vehicle to place a ticket on your dashboard.

The free P60 parking in the vicinity of Tutanekai Street will be unaffected.

Learn more about Rotorua's new inner city parking system.

FAQs

What are the benefits of the new system?

It's paperless, sophisticated and offers multiple ways to pay, easily.

The parking management system will eventually include up to 80 touch-screen parking terminals in the CBD (including Haupapa off-street parks) capable of accepting coins, credit/debit cards and mobile parking app payment options. The parking building will have new state of the art technology installed.

Screens on the terminals can include customised messages, which means we can promote local activities or events in the future. An additional feature will allow the terminals to be programmed in future in multiple languages, including te reo Māori. This feature supports the city's Bilingual Rotorua journey.

What is the benefit to ratepayers?

It will be the responsibility of i-Park to keep the services operational and to deliver the services as per its agreement with the Council. Council no longer needs to invest an estimated $2 million to modernise and invest in technology and the maintenance, operation and upkeep of that technology.

Revenue collection will improve through better compliance because the technology allows more efficient and effective enforcement options.

i-Park is responsible for managing, operating and maintaining the specialist technology, which means Council funds can be directed to other community services.

How was the decision made?

A wide range of options were tested through a systematic tender process which involved early market involvement of the specialist parking services sector. The possible options were carefully analysed. This was followed by a staged procurement programme to identify the most suitable specialist parking services partner.

In December 2017 Council approved awarding the contract to manage all parking services within the Rotorua District to Auckland-based Harding Traffic Limited. The Chief Executive was delegated the authority to negotiate the final terms of a contract.