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No Expansion of Paid Parking at Hot Water Beach

Domain Car Park will not be Paid Parking

We recently noticed TCDC staff had submitted a proposal to make the Domain Car Park at Hot Water Beach paid parking, similar to the main shopping/parking area at Hot Water Beach. You can read TCDC proposal here. TCDC HotWater DomainParking Proposal

We were very surprised to learn of this proposal and wrote a letter to TCDC. You can read our letter here. Hot Water Beach Parking

Along with other concerned residents, we attended the TCDC Mercury Bay Community Board meeting on 7 July 2022. We felt it was very important that TCDC should not proceed with paid parking at one of our most popular beaches. You can view the meeting on TCDC’s website or by clicking here 

We are pleased to report that our Community Board decided NOT to implement paid parking.

The meeting was reported in the Bay of Plenty Times/NZ Herald. Click to here read it 

We would like to thank the Community Board for making the right decision in this case. However, we need better ways of paying for the infrastructure that tourists demand – with an 8.8% increase in rates next year, we need to work with TCDC to propose council cost savings or new revenue sources.

Traffic Consultation 2018 – Updated

Traffic Consultation Results

TCDC received 319 written submission in response to their request for public views on the proposed changes to parking by laws in Hahei Village. TCDC also devoted a day to receive verbal submissions.

TCDC’s summary of the submissions can be found here TCDC Parking Consultation Staff Report. However, if wish to read all 320 individual submissions, click on the following.  Parking Submissions3, Parking Submssions2, Parking Submissions1. If you wish to read the HR&RA verbal submission click here. VerbalSubmission

Apart from new parking restrictions are the Hahei Store, there will be no changes to parking in Hahei as a result of the Consultation.

What lessons can we learn from this process?

  1.  Minimal parking rules and regulations part of the Coromandel and Hahei culture. We like our freedom to park where ever we choose.
  2. Parking problems only occur for short, but growing,  period of the year. Many people would prefer to endure, and/or enjoy, the holiday crowds, than have parking controls.
  3. There is no general consensus on the best traffic management solution for Hahei. In these circumstances, it is better to make small incremental changes and test their effectiveness before moving on.

Going forward, we will continue monitor Cathedral Cove visitor numbers, peak traffic volumes and their impact on street parking.

Traffic Consultation Background Information

TCDC has invited Hahei ratepayers to express their views on possible new bylaws in Hahei. The consultation takes place 10 August 2018 to 4 pm on 10 September. Details of the consultation process can be found on the TCDC website by clicking here. TCDC also mailed out a letter to ratepayers. If you did not receive the letter, you can read it here. Consultation Letter

We urge all Hahei Residents and Ratepayers to exercise your democratic right and submit your views.

To assist in you in preparing your submission, here is a summary of the key points you should consider.

What options is TCDC proposing?

The consultation documentation identifies only two options.

  1. Resident Parking Only in whole of Hahei from Pa Rd to then beach
  2. No Stopping lines throughout the whole of Hahei

There is however, a third option –  keep the status quo and no new parking controls.

What are the benefits of Resident only parking?

Resident only parking would

  1. Remove many day visitor cars from the streets of Hahei. They would be required to park in the Visitor Car Park or other Council car parks
  2. Enable residents to safely walk along grass berms. Children would again be able to play on the streets more safely.
  3. A first step in the creation of walking village.

What are the downsides of Resident only parking?

Resident only parking could have the following effects

  1. Reduce visitors to Hahei, affecting sales in retail shops
  2. Make Hahei appear unfriendly
  3. Restrict free movement of locals
  4. Change the character of Hahei

What aspects of Resident Parking does the Council still need to address?

The recent survey identified a number of key issues that were critical to the success of resident parking. Not all have been covered in the draft bylaws. If you support resident only parking, we recommend you specify that you support is conditional on the following matters being resolved satisfactorily

  • Number of Resident parking permits. The draft bylaw allows for one permit whereas the Action Plan allowed for two permits per residential property. Our recent survey indicated support for two or more permits. If you would like more than one permit, please say so with a reason.
  • Resident Parking Permits, Area – There is no definition of which properties would be entitled to residential parking permits. In our discussions we have always included all of Hahei Village (including all of Hahei Beach Road), Orchard Road, Sarahs Hill, Link, Lees and Hahei Roads).
  • Simple Low Cost Permit System – Permits only need to be issued once and surrendered upon sale of the property. They are likely to be a small card to be placed in your vehicle windscreen and therefore minimal cost.
  • Emergency and Trade Visitors – There needs to be a system in place to cover
    • Emergency services,
    • Trades and contractors
    • Visitors, renters and those who live here
    • Playcenter users, Library volunteers etc.
      While preliminary discussions with the TCDC Compliance Manager indicate that this should not be a problem this is not explicitly stated in the current proposal. If you feel this is important, please say so.
  • Patricia Place – The Resident parking proposal excludes Grange Road.  It should also exclude Patricia Place, as there are no stopping lines there as well. We need to ensure that berm parking in these 2 areas is restricted as well, with the exception that residents may park on the berms in Patricia Place.
  • Free Parking at Council Pay and Display Car Parks – The proposal indicates that permits would not be able to park for free in Council pay & display areas. This is contrary to the Action Plan adopted by the Community Board which was “That one permit per property be provided to permanent residents and ratepayers of the area bounded by Boat Harbour Road, State Highway 25, Hot Water Beach Road, Purangi Road, Hahei Road and the Purangi Estuary to permit free use of all Council car parks in Hahei and Hot Water Beach”.
  • Annual Review – The proposal does not allow for a review of the parking permit after each summer and we believe we must have a way of regularly adjusting traffic management to maintain the support of residents.
  • Signage – In your submission, please give your recommendations on the number and locations of signs. We could try just 2 or 3 signs strategically located and see how it works.
  • Hours of operation – Since the shuttle bus will operate from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, it may be sensible for parking restrictions to operate over the same period. Please submit your views on the hours when parking restrictions should operate.

No Parking in Hahei Village - what does this mean?

The draft bylaw issued by TCDC proposes that all streets from Pa Road to the beach would be no parking. They would have dotted yellow no parking lines, similar to Grange Road. Berm parking would not be allowed. If you consider this amount of of control excessive, the rn say so in your submission. Perhaps you would like only a few streets to have no parking. We suggest you specify the streets but remember that, as we have seen with Grange Road, no parking in some streets will drive visitors to look for alternatives throughout Hahei.

Retain Status Quo - What will this mean for Hahei?

Perhaps the best option at this time to simply accept the current situation and make no changes to parking Bylaws in Hahei. The benefits of this option is

  • No cost
  • Maintain freedom to park anywhere

But doing nothing we have not addressed the following issues

  • Continued growth of tourism in Hahei. Should Hahei continue to be the parking lot for Cathedral Cove?
  • The inconvenience property owners face of tourists parking all over the streets of Hahei.
  • It will be increasingly difficult to persuade visitors to use pay and display car parks.

Traffic Survey Results and TCDC Response

Traffic Survey

Firstly, we would like to thank the 265 people who completed the survey. This a fabulous response is and very powerful statement of what the Hahei community wants. Below is summary of answers to the questions. If you would like to read all responses (45 pages) click here. Completed Survey

Next Steps – TCDC Decisions

Over the passed few months, your committee has been working with TCDC Staff and elected members to improve traffic and visitor management in Hahei. Recently the TCDC Infrastructure Committee had a workshop and at the TCDC 26 June Council meeting, staff delivered a paper for Council to consider. You can read the paper here.Hahei Parking Council Paper or here. It is item 3.4

Your committee was very disappointed with staff recommendations – do nothing/prepare a report – and so we decided to give a presentation to Council. The presentation explains that we need to get on top of traffic management in Hahei and doing nothing was the least supported option in Traffic Survey. You can read the presentation here.Council Meeting 2018 6 26 Hahei Presentation

In response, the Mayor and Council resolved at the meeting that

  1. Receives the “Amendments to the Parking Control Bylaw 2014 – Hahei Report dated 6 June 2018
  2. Approves out of cycle funding to expand the Visitor Car Park as soon as possible, up to $175,000 of council funding
  3. Instruction staff to schedule Council workshop to discuss the Hahei parking issues and options for a bylaw change with any bylaw change to be adopted by 30 October 2018 for 1 December 2018 implementation.

What this means is that the Visitor Car Park will be expanded to 500 vehicles prior to Christmas, and Council will consider our traffic survey and recommendations in detail, and do something, by 1 December 2018.

This is great result of Hahei and we thank the Mayor and Council for their leadership in moving ahead decisively.

Your responses to the survey identify numerous details that need to incorporated into any changes to parking in Hahei. However, there are some areas were we have overwhelming agreement. For instance, 90% agree traffic controls must be seasonal.

We will continue to work closely with Council and make sure your views, as expressed in the Survey, are incorporated in any changes to traffic management in Hahei

Hahei Traffic Documentation

As we have worked with TCDC to solve Hahei’s Traffic challenges, we have developed a number of key documents. Here is list for your to download and review. If you have any comments, please post them below.

  1. TCDC initial High Level Traffic Plan for South Mercury Bay. Note – there have been many changes to this plan since  it was presented to the Mercury Bay Community Board in 2016 . Parking Strategy High Level Action Plan
  2. Mercury Bay Community Board Interim Traffic Management Plan. Parking Strategy Attachment A  
  3. TCDC Staff prepared a draft plan bylaw options for Hahei. It is subject to review by Council Here it is. Parking Control Bylaw 2014 Changes (Hahei). 
  4. HR&RA letter recommended action plan. Letter To TCDC Implementation Of Parking Plan
  5. TCDC held a traffic workshop to  discuss traffic in Hahei. Here is a copy of a presentation providing background information. TCDC Hahei Traffic Workshop May 2018 Presentation

Hahei Traffic Management Plan

Hahei Residents and Ratepayers Association has been working with TCDC to develop a plan to improve parking and traffic management in Hahei. It is the subject of ongoing negotiations. However, you can read the current plan here.  Hahei Parking Community BD Paper

There are a lot of details in the plan and we’d really like you to read it closely. Let us know what you think. Here are some key points

  • Control and Management Agreement – DoC has agreed to handover the control of the control of the Grange Rd Car Park and the Hahei Front Beach Car Park to TCDC. This is key first step.
  • Grange Road Car park – This will become a drop-off only park during the summer and a pay and display park during he winter
  • Beach Front Car Park – This will become a pay and display car park all year.
  • On Street Parking – A number of streets have identified where we think that residents only should park. This is subject to a publicly notified consultation process and may be expanded or reduced.
  • Hahei Visitors Car Park –  Once we have implemented the above, the Hahei Visitors Car Park may become pay and display also.
  • Review – There will be regular monitoring and review of the new plan. Adjustments will be made as required.
  • Hahei Village Centre Update – A Village Centre traffic management update group will created to advise on changes to needed in the centre of Hahei.
  • Park and Ride Bus – This will operate from 1 October to 30 April each year, based on demand.
  • Pay and Display Resident Free Parking Permit – All residents will be able obtain a free parking permit so Hahei residents car park in Pay and Display car parks in Hahei and Hot Water Beach.

Creating a Walkable Village
Where cars are guests on our roads

What is a Walkable Village?

One option that we are exploring is to develop Hahei into a “Walkable Village”. We need to explore what this means for a beach village, but conceptually it means

  • Road will become shared spaces where pedestrians have priority. Cars will be guests.
  • Walkways will be upgraded expanded and upgraded to safe, attractive all-weather paths.

Over the coming months we plan to develop the concept in more details for everyone to consider.

In the meantime, here is an example of a share space.

Exhibition Street, London

 

Read More About Our Community

Read More About Our Plans For Hahei