The latest data shows the Selwyn District Council issued 2806 infringement notices valued at $392,739 from November 1, 2024, to October 31, 2025. Of those, 427 were later cancelled, valued at $85,863.
The data also showed the top reason for a ticket was not having a current registration (521), followed by not having a warrant of fitness (484). Both come with a $200 fine.
There were 392 tickets issued for parking on a grass berm or verge, down about half compared to the previous 12 months.
Overall, it marks an increase from the previous year, when the district council issued 2070 infringement notices, totalling $199,528 from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024.
Kā Puna Springs Ward district councillor Aaron McGlinchy said he has been made aware of several tickets being issued for cars without a WOF outside the Auto4 garage in Lincoln while they were waiting to get one.
“A proactive approach would be to go and talk to the person in the garage and say ‘these cars don’t have warrants, what is the plan for them' rather than piss everybody off,” McGlinchy told district council staff at a briefing last week.
Auto4 confirmed cars were ticketed, but declined to comment.
District council acting development and growth executive director Emma Larsen said there was no record of tickets being issued outside the garage in the system.
“It is also relevant to note that there is no consent for the business to use the public road and parking spaces for private business activities, including for storage for operating a business.”
Selwyn deputy mayor Brendan Shefford described parking tickets as “revenue gathering” and said he would support a change.
“There is a time and place for it. At Saturday sports day, that’s not a time and a place for it. On a berm on a narrow street, that’s not a time and a place for it,” Shefford said.
Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon said fines could be avoided by having a conversation or issuing a warning.
"I do believe a more pragmatic approach should guide how parking tickets are issued, particularly for things like cars parked on verges.
"Parking is challenging in some areas, especially where roads are narrow or there’s limited designated parking.
"I do see the need for a parking bylaw, as it provides clear guidance where it’s genuinely required.
"But in many day-to-day situations, if a bit of commonsense and discretion were to be applied, there might not be major issues."
In February, Rolleston resident John Boulton failed to appeal a $40 fine for parking on the verge outside his Lucca Cres property.
He argued he had parked on the berm to allow enough space for vehicles to pass through and had been doing so for four-and-a-half years.
Larsen said staff do try to take a pragmatic approach and use warnings to remind people about parking safely.
"However, parking on berms can damage infrastructure, which costs ratepayers to repair.
"It can also obstruct pedestrian access and compact the berms, which reduces their effectiveness in soaking up stormwater runoff,” she said.
Gliddon said councillors will have a chance to discuss the matter further at a briefing later this month.
"That session will be an opportunity to ensure our approach is balanced, clear where rules are needed, but flexible enough to allow staff to use judgement and work constructively with the community."
- HAVE YOUR SAY: Send your parking ticket story in 200 words or less to daniel.alvey@alliedmedia.co.nz
