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Resolution
number DT/2022/95
MOVED by Member G Wood, seconded by Chairperson R
Jackson:
That
the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board:
a)
thanks the 933 individuals and organisations from around
Auckland, including 33 from the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board area, who made
submissions during public consultation on the Draft Auckland Parking Strategy
b)
does not support the Draft Auckland Parking
Strategy
c)
considers that:
i.
the Draft Auckland Parking Strategy policies around removing and
repurposing parking are simply not tenable when faced with the twin
challenges of rapid population growth and the government’s National
Policy Statement – Urban Development (NPS-UD) which prohibits council
from requiring off-street residential parking.
We note that the Auckland Unitary Plan provides for 900,000 new homes, and
the even greater intensification required by the NPS-UD and Resource
Management (Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act increases that to
a much larger but as yet unquantified number of new homes.
ii.
the strategy will damage the viability of businesses not only on
the affected streets but across the wider business areas they serve, and will
be an obstacle to post-Covid economic recovery
iii.
the unique geography of Takapuna – with a huge part of its
catchment lying in the Waitemata Harbour and Lake Pupuke – sets it
apart from other Metropolitan Centres and requires a very different and tailored
approach to private vehicle use and parking management
iv.
the lack of train services on the North Shore has a fundamental
impact on public transport choices which requires a very different and
tailored approach to private vehicle use and parking management across the
North Shore
v.
the strategy, coupled with diminishing off-street parking, will
disadvantage those living and working on the affected streets, and
potentially limit the housing choices of some Aucklanders
vi.
the strategy will have unintended negative effects on many
Aucklanders, including tradespeople who must carry their tools of trade in
their vehicles, delivery vehicles, caregivers and support workers, the
disabled, people who are unable to use public transport, and lower income
Aucklanders
vii.
it is disappointing that the Draft Auckland Parking Strategy has
been developed without the meaningful involvement of local boards, local
businesses, and local communities, and does not sufficiently take local
circumstances and conditions into account
viii.
if the strategy is adopted, future consultations will focus on
fulfilling the strategy rather than on finding the best solution for each
location and community,
ix.
it is astonishing that the strategy lists general vehicle
parking as the lowest priority in a list of 8 kerbside parking priorities
(Draft Auckland Parking Strategy, Section 4, III)
x.
a greater focus on public transport is key to reducing
congestion, pollution, and pressure on parking. Particular focus must be
placed on affordable fares, increased routes, greater frequency, reliability
of service, ensuring different routes and services integrate well, and making
the AT HOP cards and app more ‘user-friendly’ – all of
which are known obstacles to public transport uptake.
d)
gives the following feedback on Section 5 – Proposed
Approach to Parking Management (agenda p218-219)
i.
The
board notes that the shopping and business hubs in our area have evolved over
many decades to be reliant on parking, and that parking is the ‘life
blood’ of these centres. Parking demand in Takapuna, Devonport, and
Milford is already under pressure and has little or no room for expansion.
Parking in Sunnynook, and the Kings Store and Belmont centres along Lake Road
are also an issue.
We support the submission of the Takapuna Beach Business
Association – which states that the net loss of 75 car parks in their
business district has already affected local businesses, already struggling
through Covid and affected by lengthy Hurstmere Road upgrade. We share their
concern that new residential developments with little or no parking will
place unsustainable pressure
on parking in the Takapuna area, and drive more businesses out to other
locations.
ii.
On
balance, the board supports, in principle, the inclusion of a number of
shopping and business hubs in our local board area in Tier 2, and the
development of Comprehensive Parking Management Plans (CPMPs). We recognise
that – while current parking management (effectively the same as the
proposed Tier 1) – works well at present, rapid intensification will
bring increased competition for the limited parking available, and we will
need to respond to that.
However, the board’s support is conditional on the clear
understanding that the local board, along with local businesses and
residents, would be an integral part of developing these CPMPs in
collaboration with Auckland Transport – rather than merely being
‘informed’ or ‘providing feedback’ on plans developed
in isolation by AT. In our view, this proactive collaboration and partnership
is the key to ensuring that local boards and communities are brought along
for the ride – reducing the potential for tension and division over
changes.
e)
gives the following feedback on Section 6 – Parking
Strategy Policies:
i.
Policy 1 – Parking Planning – Comprehensive Parking
Management Plans (CPMPs)
The board supports the development of CPMPs on the clear understanding that
local boards and key local stakeholders including businesses and community
representatives would be an integral part of developing these plans.
ii.
Policy 3 – Public engagement on parking (agenda p232)
The board considers that merely ‘informing’ local boards and the
community does not constitute ‘engagement’, and favours
meaningful consultation with local board and the community, to ensure that
changes are informed by local knowledge at the earliest stages of
development, that local boards and residents are ‘brought along for the
ride’, and reduce the incidence of conflict and division.
iii.
Policy 9 – Park and ride management (agenda p239)
The board does not support charging at Park and Rides, as this will be a
disincentive and obstacle to people using public transport – when we
need to be encouraging and incentivising people to use public transport. A
good example of this is that since parking charges near the Devonport Ferry
were increased, many parking spaces remain empty – and anecdotal
evidence suggests that a number of people who previously used the ferry are
now choosing to drive instead.
We note, however, that free Park & Rides could be exploited
by people working nearby. We recommend investigating options to integrate
Park & Rides with HOP cards, before any charges are considered or
implemented. In this way, Park and Ride charges would be integrated
into the fare, in the same way that feeder buses and onward legs of the same
journey already are.
We note that in the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board area, the
Smales Farm and Sunnynook bus stations have no park and ride facilities;
Akoranga has very few spaces, which are time limited; and increased charges
for Devonport ferry parking has been a factor in some people reverting to
using their car rather than public transport.
We strongly urge an increased focus on feeder buses – both
with more routes and increased frequency – to relieve the pressure on
formal park and rides, and on-street parking around stations which have
little or no park and ride capacity.
iv.
Policy 10 – Kerb zone space allocation (agenda p240)
We do not support the kerbside parking allocation outlined in Section 4, III
– where general vehicle parking were the 7th and 8th
priorities in a list of 8 priorities
v.
Policy 15 – Rideshare and car share parking (agenda p243)
New
Zealand has a very high rate of private car ownership, so ride sharing in
private vehicles has huge potential to reduce congestion and pressure on
parking, and clearly aligns with our climate change aspirations. We
encourage Auckland Transport to investigate ways of supporting increased ride
sharing, including public education on ride-sharing options.
vi.
Policy 23 – Council community facilities parking (agenda
p252)
We applaud the policy that Auckland Transport will work proactively with
local boards and council to manage parking in council-owned spaces not
managed by AT. We have a growing issue with parking in our parks and reserve
being exploited by people who work or live nearby – and this conflict
will only grow as our city intensifies. It is essential that local boards be
an integral part of developing parking management plans for these locations
alongside Auckland Transport.
vii.
Policy 24 – Residential parking zones and residential
parking permits (agenda p57)
We support these schemes and request that the community be
consulted along with the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board whenever changes are
contemplated such as increased numbers of permits or increased fees. We note
that parking areas in our parks and reserves are increasingly exploited by
people working and living nearby, and strongly advocate that Auckland
Transport introduce similar schemes to prioritise genuine users of our open
spaces and reserves, in consultation with local boards.
f)
Gives the following feedback on Section 7 – Where to next
i.
Parking on berms (agenda p258)
We support council’s stance that we need a change in the traffic
parking regulations to prevent motorists parking on grass berms, regardless
of whether there is signage in place or not. This is a growing issue
across the Devonport-Takapuna Board area, and the whole of Auckland.
g)
receive
the feedback documents from Murray Hill – Milford Business Association
Manager, detailing the Milford Business Associations stance on the AT Draft
Parking Strategy.
CARRIED
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