Get in quick - the days of free parking at Hagley Park are coming to an end

Thursday, 12 September 2024

The days of parking for free at Christchurch’s Hagley Park are coming to an end

If you want to enjoy the spring flowers and blossoms at the Botanic Gardens for free, get there quickly – in less than eight weeks you’ll have to pay for the privilege of parking there.

From October 28 parking at the gardens and Hagley Park will come with a cost – $2 for the first hour, and then $1.30 for each hour after that, up to a maximum of $4.60 for three hours.

Parking there is already limited to 180 minutes, seven days a week, from 8am to 5pm.

Christchurch City Council agreed to bring in the parking fees in June in an attempt to clamp down on overstayers, despite it emerging that wardens had ticketed people for expired warrants and registrations, but not actually for staying too long.

The parking meters – there will be 35 – are expected to bring in $2.1 million a year, which the council says will help keep down rates increases.

As well as keeping rates lower, charging for parking and formalising the time limits means more turnover among vehicles, which means more spots will become available more often for visitors,” said Rupert Bool, the council’s head of parks.

Councillors will formalise the four parking areas within Hagley Park – by the horticultural centre, the cricket oval and the Botanic Gardens parking areas off Riccarton Ave and Armagh St – at their meeting next week.