'Overparking' irks residents

Complaints have been received by the Queenstown Lakes District Council regarding ''overparking'' in residential streets in Frankton.

In October, the council undertook a parking survey which found that at any time there were between 290 and 360 parked cars throughout the survey area.

''Over the entire survey 67% of vehicles were found to be parking for less than half a day, 23% were parked for a full day and 11% were parked for over one full day,'' the report said. It is to be presented to the infrastructure services committee tomorrow.

Much of the overparking in residential streets is perceived to be around parking ''generated by airport users and the commercial centre at Frankton Corner and Terrace Junction''.

''Concerns include difficulties of visitor/residents parking on-street, difficulties of property access and egress, and the aesthetics of streets being parked out by cars.''

It is proposed the infrastructure services committee approves a request from the council's transport manager, Denis Mander, to consult the Frankton community.

Options include: the employment of more parking restrictions around intersections and white lines, continued street controls, and a ''blanket approach'' which could mean area-wide time restrictions, such as P48-hour limits.

 

'Over parking' in Frankton.

I am guilty of this practice. I work between QLDC and Wellington and so often leave a vehicle at the airport over a 2 - 3 day period (longer than 48 hours).

Queenstown Airport don't seem capable of operating a carpark that works for people who are not on holiday with all the time (and $$) in the world. Their pay machines are usually broken with long queues of patrons waiting to pay in order to depart the carpark. Their staff are most indignant when one complains. Other international airports in NZ have credit card pay options at the exit. If Queenstown airport are not prepared to invest in a system that provides payment at exit then they ought be prepared to open the gates to allow cars to depart when their machines are broken.

Otherwise Frankton residents will continue to have airport parking in their streets. It is less stressful to walk to one;s car on arrival and drive back to the airport to collect luggage. Fortunately the baggage handling fits perfectly with car collection time.

Hey - and don't forget, residents of Frankton, why your properties are so valuable - the rest of the world also loves Queenstown Lakes. Nothing comes for nothing!