Owners to be fined for illegally-parked trailers

Boat owners will be penalised during the summer holidays if they leave their trailers illegally parked on some parts of the Wanaka lakefront road reserve or allow their boats to block access at the Roys Bay and Frankton marinas.

The Wanaka Community Board has approved a defined area of roadside reserve where people can park their trailers on days when the marina car park is full.

Parking on any other part of the reserve could result in a parking ticket.

Wanaka Community Board chairman Lyal Cocks said in his monthly report this week, signs and barriers would be installed near the Roys Bay marina showing where trailers could be parked without fear of getting a ticket.

"This will assist in reducing the confusion and irritation that has occurred in the past when motorists see that parking on one area of road reserve seems to be ignored [by enforcement officers] and parking on road reserve just round the corner on the waterfront is penalised," he said.

The signs and barriers will only be up on days when the boat ramp car park is full.

Meanwhile, Queenstown Lakes district harbourmaster Marty Black said boats parked long-term at marinas at Roys Bay and Frankton would be impounded.

"The marinas are intended for day use only but every year boaties take advantage of the space and leave their craft parked up long-term," he said.

Every year, boat traffic around the marinas increased, so they had to be managed to give everyone access, he said.

"We will commence impounding boats, at the owner's expense, as of Monday, 21 December," Mr Black said.