Waitakere City has a team of Parking Enforcement Officers who are responsible for enforcing both Council bylaws as well as offences that form part of the road transport laws of New Zealand.
These are described in the Traffic Regulations, the Road Code, the Land Transport Act
1988, the Transport (Vehicle and Driver Registration and Licensing) Act and/or Council Bylaw.
Offences involving parking are outlined in the Traffic Regulations 1976, under Regulation 35 (2), 123, 108 and 109. In the Road Code they are outlined under Rule 16, Parking and Stopping.
Offences involving safety are outlined in the Traffic Regulations 1976, under Regulation 37 and 57.
Offences involving Compliance (registration, Warrants of Fitness, etc) are outlined under the Land Transport Act 1998, Sections 5, 6 and 34.
Footpaths and grass verges
Grass verges
Parking on footpaths is illegal and parking on grass berms is illegal if it
causes damage or is likely to cause damage.
If investigating a car parked on the berm reveals other offences, (e.g. expired
warrant of fitness or registration), infringement notices will be issued for
those offences.
Vehicles merely parking on grass berms will not normally be issued with
infringement notices. Damaging the berm, however, is an offence under the
Traffic Regulations 1976, Regulation 35. Infringement notices will therefore be
issued to vehicles parked on grass berms, if there is visible damage that can be
attributed to a particular vehicle.
Footpaths
Cars parked on – or partly on - footpaths will receive infringement notices.
Footpaths are built to provide a safe place for pedestrians and cars parked on
them can be a safety issue. They are also an inconvenience to parents with
prams, people in wheelchairs and people with difficulties walking.
Grass berms and footpaths can be damaged by vehicles and every year, parking
causes significant and costly damage to the surface, to tree roots and to the
underground services. Most public complaints about parking relate to damage from
parking on the grass or path parking.
People frequently use safety as their reason for parking on footpaths (citing
narrowness of the road, etc). This excuse is not accepted. If you consider it
unsafe to park on the road even where parking is permitted, you should park
elsewhere.
